duma

Duma is a Russian term for a deliberative council or assembly. The word derives from Old East Slavic and means "thought" or "deliberation," and it has been used since medieval times to designate governing or consultative bodies.

Historically, the Imperial Duma referred to advisory and legislative assemblies in the Russian Empire after the 1905 Revolution. A sequence of Dumas (the First through the Fourth) met between 1906 and 1917 under varying powers, but all were limited by autocratic authority and were ultimately dissolved amid the 1917 revolutions.

Today, the State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. It is the principal legislative chamber alongside the upper house, the Federation Council. The Duma is responsible for drafting and passing federal laws, approving the budget, and exercising oversight over the executive branch. It also approves the appointment of the Prime Minister and can bring charges for impeachment against the President, with a two-thirds majority in the Duma; if impeached, the case proceeds to the Federation Council.

Election methods in modern Russia combine proportional representation with single-member districts; parties compete for seats, and the Duma’s composition reflects national electoral results. Since the post-Soviet era, the Duma has played a central role in the legislative process and in shaping the country’s political landscape.

Outside Russia, "Duma" is used to denote other deliberative bodies in historical or regional contexts, but in contemporary usage it most commonly refers to the State Duma of the Russian Federation.