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 House of Representatives originally comprised 59 members. The number rose following the ratification of the Constitution by North Carolina and Rhode Island in 1790; the first Congress (1789â91) adjourned with 65 representatives. By 1912 membership had reached 435. Two additional representatives were added temporarily after the admission of Alaska and Hawaii as states in 1959, but at the next legislative apportionment, membership returned to 435, the number authorized by a law enacted in 1941.