Legal Definitions - legislature

Definition: The legislature is the branch of government that is responsible for creating laws. In most cases, the federal government and states have a bicameral legislature, which means it has two parts: a house of representatives and a senate. It is also known as a legislative assembly. This is different from the executive branch, which enforces laws, and the judiciary branch, which interprets laws.

• The United States Congress is the federal legislature, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
• The California State Legislature is the state's bicameral legislature, consisting of the Assembly and the Senate.

These examples illustrate how the legislature is responsible for creating laws at both the federal and state levels. The bicameral structure allows for a system of checks and balances, where each part of the legislature can review and approve or reject proposed laws.