Final answer:
The United States features predominantly bicameral state legislatures, with two separate chambers, except for Nebraska which has a unicameral legislature. A bicameral legislature typically comprises an upper and a lower house, whereas a unicameral system has only one legislative body.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States has a system of government in which the legislature is typically bicameral, consisting of two separate chambers. Every state, with the sole exception of Nebraska, follows this bicameral model. Nebraska's legislature is unicameral, meaning it has a single legislative chamber. Both systems have their roots in historical precedent, with the bicameral approach being a compromise to balance representation of different state populations and interests.
Bicameral legislatures separate powers between two bodies, usually referred to as the upper and lower houses or chambers. In the United States, the federal level is represented by the Congress, which is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate. The design of a bicameral Congress was meant to be a compromise between larger and smaller states and was influenced by similar structures in Europe. Conversely, a unicameral legislature like Nebraska's consists of just one body, which is responsible for all legislative functions.