ABSTRACT
Upper houses of parliament classically perform scrutiny and revising functions with respect to government policy and legislation. In this they are generally the junior parliamentary partner, shadowing the work of the lower house, and often possessing considerably lesser powers. However, many also have a unique function, not shared by the lower house, of representing the territorial interests of provinces, regions or states at the national level. The origins of this territorial role of upper houses, the extent to which it is a feature today, and whether such chambers in practice fulfil a territorial role are investigated. Finally, the future, and the extent to which the territorial model may be becoming the standard one for upper house design is discussed.
