A parliament is a group of elected representatives who make laws and govern a country. The word comes from the French word parler, which means “to speak,” because parliament members debate and discuss the laws they're creating.

In countries with parliaments, like the United Kingdom, Canada, and India, citizens vote for representatives who gather in a special building to argue about proposed laws, vote on them, and decide how the country should be run. Unlike the American system, where the president leads the executive branch separately, many parliamentary countries have a prime minister who comes directly from parliament and depends on parliament's support to stay in power.

Parliament usually has two chambers, or houses. In Britain, there's the House of Commons, where elected representatives serve, and the House of Lords, whose members are appointed. The House of Commons holds most of the real power because its members directly represent the people.

When parliament is “in session,” members debate everything from education funding to environmental protection. These debates can get quite heated, with representatives from different political parties challenging each other's ideas. But the whole system works because everyone agrees to follow certain rules and accept majority votes, even when they disagree. This process of citizens electing representatives who then debate and vote on laws is a cornerstone of modern democracy.