<P> There is a variety of ways an upper house's members are assembled: by direct or indirect election, appointment, heredity, or a mixture of these . The German Bundesrat is composed of members of the cabinets of the German states, in most cases the state premier and several ministers; they are delegated and can be recalled anytime . In a very similar way, the Council of the European Union is composed of national ministers . </P> <P> Many upper houses are not directly elected but appointed: either by the head of government or in some other way . This is usually intended to produce a house of experts or otherwise distinguished citizens, who would not necessarily be returned in an election . For example, members of the Senate of Canada are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister . </P> <P> In the past, some upper houses had seats that were hereditary, such as in the British House of Lords until 1999 and in the Japanese House of Peers until it was abolished in 1947 . </P> <P> It is also common that the upper house consists of delegates chosen by state governments or local officials . Members of the Rajya Sabha in India are nominated by various states and union territories, while 12 of them are nominated by the President of India . Similarly, at the state level, one - third of the members of the Vidhan Parishad are nominated by local governments, one - third by sitting legislators, and the rest are elected by select members of the electorate . The United States Senate was chosen by the State legislatures until the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913 . </P>

Why is the senate the upper house of congress