In a parliamentary system, by contrast, the legislature holds supreme power. The prime minister is chosen by members of the legislature (Parliament) from among their own number and in practice is the leader of the majority party in the legislature.
There are 435 Representatives in the House of Representatives. The number of members in the House of Representatives is a different story and is based on population.
The United States is a large, fractured, diverse and yet still unified nation, and few government bodies reflect the paradox that is this country better than the House of Representatives. Metrics of the House. The House is the lower of the two legislative bodies in the U.S. government. It has 435 members, with the number of representatives per state dependent upon that state's population. House members serve two-year terms. Rather than represent their entire state, as Senate members do, they represent a specific district.