Editing Senate (section)

==Overview==
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The modern word ''senate'' is derived from the [[Latin]] word ''senātus'' (senate), which comes from ''senex'', 'elder man'.<ref>Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary: ''[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/senate senate]''</ref> A member or legislator of a senate is called '''senator'''. The Latin word ''senator'' was adopted into English with [[English orthography|no change in spelling]]. Its meaning is derived from a very ancient form of social organization, in which advisory or decision-making powers are reserved for the eldest men. For the same reason, the word ''senate'' is correctly used when referring to any powerful authority characteristically composed by the eldest members of a community, as a deliberative body of a faculty in an institution of higher learning is often called a senate. This form of adaptation was used to show the power of those in body and for the decision-making process to be thorough, which could take a long period of time. The original senate was the [[Roman Senate]], which lasted until at least CE 603,<ref>{{cite book|page=1047|author=Levillain, Philippe|title=The Papacy: Gaius-Proxies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7VDcmDeLuV4C&pg=PA1047|year=2002|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-0-415-92230-2}}</ref> although various efforts to revive it were made in Medieval Rome. In the [[Eastern Roman Empire]], the [[Byzantine senate|Byzantine Senate]] continued until the [[Fourth Crusade]], circa 1202–1204. The female form '''senatrix''' also existed. 

[[File:Senate_in_session.jpg|thumb|The [[Senate of the United States]] in session]]

Modern democratic states with [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] [[parliamentary system]]s are sometimes equipped with a senate, often distinguished from an ordinary parallel [[lower house]], known variously as the "[[House of Representatives]]", "[[House of Commons]]", "[[Chamber of Deputies]]", "[[National Assembly]]", "[[Legislative Assembly]]", or "[[House of Assembly]]", by electoral rules. This may include minimum age required for voters and candidates, one house employing a proportional voting system and the other being elected on a [[Majoritarianism|majoritarian]] or [[Plurality voting system|plurality]] basis, and an electoral basis or ''collegium''. Typically, the senate is referred to as the upper house and has a smaller membership than the lower house. In some [[federal state]]s senates also exist at the subnational level. In the [[United States]], most states and territories have senates, with the exception of [[Nebraska]], [[Guam]], and the [[U.S. Virgin Islands]] (whose legislatures are unicameral bodies called the "Legislature" but whose members refer to themselves as "senators") and the [[District of Columbia]] (whose unicameral legislature is called the Council).  There is also the [[US Senate]] at the federal level. Similarly in [[Argentina]], in addition to the [[Senate of Argentina|Senate]] at federal level, eight of the country's [[Provinces of Argentina|provinces]], [[Buenos Aires Province|Buenos Aires]], [[Catamarca Province|Catamarca]], [[Corrientes]], [[Entre Ríos Province|Entre Ríos]], [[Mendoza Province|Mendoza]], [[Salta Province|Salta]], [[San Luis Province|San Luis]] (since 1987) and [[Santa Fe Province|Santa Fe]], have bicameral legislatures with a Senate. [[Córdoba Province, Argentina|Córdoba]] and [[Tucumán Province|Tucumán]] changed to [[Unicameralism|unicameral]] systems in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

In [[Australia]] and [[Canada]], only the upper house of the federal parliament is known as the Senate. All [[States and territories of Australia|Australian states]] other than [[Queensland]] have an upper house known as a [[Legislative council]]. Several Canadian provinces also once had a Legislative Council, but these have all been abolished, the last being [[Quebec]]'s [[Legislative Council of Quebec|Legislative council]] in 1968.

In [[Germany]], the last senate of a [[States of Germany|state]] parliament, the [[Bavarian Senate]], was abolished in 2000.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Keating |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KbPDAQAAQBAJ |title=Rescaling the European State: The Making of Territory and the Rise of the Meso |date=October 2013 |publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-969156-2 |pages=143 |language=en}}</ref>

Senate membership can be determined either through elections or appointments. For example, elections are held every three years for half the membership of the [[Senate of the Philippines]], the term of a senator being six years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Samonte|first=Severino|date=April 26, 2022|title=Why only 12 are elected to the 24-member Senate|url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172944|access-date=2024-10-23|website=pna.gov.ph|language=en}}</ref> In contrast, members of the [[Senate of Canada|Canadian Senate]] are appointed by the [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]] upon the recommendation of the [[Prime Minister of Canada]], holding the office until they resign, are removed, or retire at the mandatory age of 75.