One notable difference between the municipal and federal levels is the size of the legislative houses. While the Chamber of Deputies is composed of 513 deputies and the Federal Senate of 81 senators, many municipal chambers have significantly fewer council members.
For example, large cities like Recife have 39 council members, but most municipalities have fewer than 20. This smaller number of representatives can facilitate the processing of proposals, since the complexity of the process and the number of steps are reduced. However, this simplicity can also result in less diversity of opinions and less debate , impacting the quality and scope of legislative deliberations.
Table in green and orange showing the main differences kenya mobile database between the two legislative processes
Main differences between the federal and municipal legislative processes
Understanding the differences between the federal and municipal legislative processes is important for several reasons. First, the National Congress is bicameral, which implies a more complex and time-consuming legislative process compared to the unicameral process of the Municipal Chambers.
In Congress, a proposal needs to be approved by both the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate, passing through multiple committees and debate sessions in both houses.
For example, a bill dealing with tax changes may be the subject of intense debate and amendments in the Chamber of Deputies before being sent to the Senate, where it will undergo a new round of analysis and possible modifications. This makes the processing of proposals faster in municipalities, where a bill is discussed and voted on in only one legislative house, simplifying and accelerating the process.
Furthermore, the relationship between the Executive and the Legislative branches differs significantly at the two levels. In the National Congress, the Executive's proposals can be substantially modified , while in the City Councils, especially in smaller cities, the Mayor's proposals tend to be approved with less resistance, due to local political dynamics.