Citizen legislature
{{Short description|Type of decision making body}}
A citizen legislature is a legislative chamber made up primarily of citizens who have a full-time occupation besides being a legislator. Such citizen legislatures can be found on the state level, as in some U.S. states, or on the national level as in Switzerland.{{cite web |url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/ger/die-legislative-ist-ein-miliz-parlament/162442 |title=Die Legislative ist ein Miliz-Parlament - SWI swissinfo.ch |format= |accessdate=2016-12-13}}
Legislatures in the U.S. considered to be citizen legislatures include Montana,{{cite web |title=Montana State Legislature |url=https://www.leg.mt.gov/ |publisher=Government of the 'State of Montana' |access-date=25 April 2023}} Nevada,{{cite web |title=Nevada Legislature |url=https://www.leg.state.nv.us/ |publisher=Government of Nevada |access-date=25 April 2023}} Idaho,{{cite web |title=Idaho Legislature |url=https://legislature.idaho.gov/ |publisher=Government of the 'State of Idaho'}} New Mexico,{{cite web |title=New Mexico Legislature (Legislatura de Nuevo México) |url=http://nmlegis.gov/ |publisher=Government of New Mexico |access-date=25 April 2023}} North Carolina,{{cite web |title=North Carolina General Assembly |url=https://www.ncleg.gov/ |publisher=Government of North Carolina |access-date=25 April 2023}} North Dakota,{{cite web |title=North Dakota Legislative Assembly |url=https://www.ndlegis.gov/ |publisher=North Dakota State Government |access-date=25 April 2023}} Oregon,{{cite web |title=Oregon Legislative Assembly |url=http://www.oregonlegislature.gov |publisher=Government of the U.S. state of Oregon |access-date=25 April 2023}} Utah,{{cite web |title=Utah State Legislature |url=https://le.utah.gov/ |publisher=Government of Utah |access-date=25 April 2023}} Virginia{{cite web |title=Virginia General Assembly |url=https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/ |publisher=Government of Virginia |access-date=25 April 2023}} and Wyoming.{{cite web |title=Wyoming State Legislature |url=https://wyoleg.gov/ |publisher=Government of the 'State of Wyoming' |access-date=25 April 2023}}
Many other states in the US, by contrast, have a professional legislature. James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 62 that "It is not possible that an assembly of men called for the most part from pursuits of a private nature, continued in appointment for a short time, and led by no permanent motive to devote intervals of public occupation to a study of the laws, the affairs, and the comprehensive interests of their country, should, if left wholly to themselves, escape a variety of important errors in the exercise of their legislative trust."{{cite news |last1=Madison |first1=James ("Publius") |title=Federalist No. 62 |work=The Federalist |publisher=New York Packet |date=February 27, 1788}}