yeah let's elect TWO separate but equal legislatures to jerk each other off over what legislation to pass, great idea western man
no I'm not mad I just learned that Virginia would have had recreational marijuana sales in 2022 if it were up to their senate, BUT WOOPS
Both the US and UK legislatures - arguably the two primary examples of bicameral legislatures - were erected that way specifically to let the privileged classes have the final say in the laws and policies of the country. Power in the hands of the working class had to be avoided at all costs. I would say the UK system favors the landed aristocracy and the US favors the bourgeoisie but I'm not that familiar with the House of Lords to know if that's true or not.
in the us, madison was pretty mask-off about this, in what wikipedia calls "among the most highly regarded of all American political writings:"
the literal stated purpose of the senate is to be a roadblock to protect the status quo from the "passions" of the masses
Lol in high school we were taught its to protect to uwu smol bean states from the 😳 big strong muscle daddy states, and that never made any sense to me
That was probably a fair part of it, but that was 250 years ago, too. Now, the balance has shifted in favor of small states to a comical degree, and the inherent differences in state policies matter less than ever.
They haven't mattered since the articles of confederation, and even then not really
It was pretty explicitly to protect the slave states from the free states.
Turns out the masses are pretty pasionate about not starving to death or getting maimed in an industrial accident at work.