Editing Storting (section)

== History ==
The parliament in its present form was [[Norway in 1814|first constituted]] at [[Eidsvoll]] in 1814, although its origins can be traced back to the allting, as early as the 9th century, a type of ''[[thing (assembly)|thing]]'', or common assembly of free men in [[Germanic tribes|Germanic societies]] that would gather at a place called a thingstead and were presided over by [[lawspeaker]]s. The alltings were where legal and political matters were discussed. These gradually were formalised so that the things grew into regional meetings and acquired backing and authority from the Crown, even to the extent that on occasions they were instrumental in effecting change in the monarchy itself.

As oral laws became codified and Norway unified as a geopolitical entity in the 10th century, the lagtings ("law things") were established as superior regional assemblies. During the mid-13th century, the by then archaic regional assemblies, the [[Frostating]], the [[Gulating]], the [[Eidsivating]] and the [[Borgarting]], were amalgamated and the corpus of law was set down under the command of King [[Magnus Lagabøte]]. This jurisdiction remained significant until King [[Frederick III of Denmark|Frederick III]] proclaimed absolute monarchy in 1660; this was ratified by the passage of the [[Sovereignty Act|King Act of 1665]], and this became the constitution of the [[Denmark–Norway|Union of Denmark and Norway]] and remained so until 1814 and the foundation of the Storting.

The [[Parliament of Norway Building]] opened in 1866.

===World War II===
On 27 June 1940 the presidium signed an appeal to King Haakon, seeking his abdication.<ref name=CavingEndo>{{cite news |title=Stortinget hvitvasker sin krigshistorie |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikker/Stortinget-hvitvasker-sin-krigshistorie-7500998.html#.UzA8j4VN-xo |newspaper=Aftenposten |date=14 March 2014 |author=Tor Bomann-Larsen |author-link=Tor Bomann-Larsen |access-date=24 March 2014 |archive-date=20 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320022742/http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikker/Stortinget-hvitvasker-sin-krigshistorie-7500998.html#.UzA8j4VN-xo |url-status=live }}</ref> (The presidium then consisted of the presidents and vice-presidents of parliament, [[Odelstinget]] and [[Lagtinget]].<ref name=Presidentskap>{{Cite web |url=http://snl.no/Stortingets_presidentskap |title=Stortingets presidentskap |access-date=24 March 2014 |archive-date=24 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324184753/http://snl.no/Stortingets_presidentskap |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Ivar Lykke (politician)|Ivar Lykke]] stepped in (according to mandate) in place of the president in exile, [[C. J. Hambro]];<ref name=Lykke>{{Cite web |url=http://nbl.snl.no/Ivar_Lykke |title=Ivar Lykke |access-date=24 March 2014 |archive-date=24 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324184110/http://nbl.snl.no/Ivar_Lykke |url-status=live }}</ref> Lykke was one [of the six] who signed.<ref name="CavingEndo"/>)

In September 1940 the representatives were summoned to [[Oslo]], and voted in favour of the results of the negotiations between the presidium and the authorities of the German invaders.<ref name="CavingEndo"/> (92 voted for, and 53 voted against.)<ref name="CavingEndo"/> However, directives from [[Adolf Hitler]] resulted in the obstruction of "the agreement of cooperation between parliament and [the] occupation force".<ref name="CavingEndo"/>

===Qualified unicameralism (1814–2009)===
The Storting has always been ''de jure'' [[unicameral]], but before a constitutional amendment in 2009 it was de facto [[bicameral]]. After an election, the Storting would elect a quarter of its membership to form the Lagting, a sort of "upper house" or revising chamber, with the remaining three-quarters forming the Odelsting or "lower house".<ref name="ECHR">[https://books.google.com/books?id=_9k_1g4LWcUC&dq=Storting+Lagting+Odelsting&pg=PA210 ''A Europe of Rights: The Impact of the ECHR on National Legal Systems''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310204325/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=_9k_1g4LWcUC&lpg=PA210&dq=Storting%20Lagting%20Odelsting&pg=PA210#v=onepage&q=Storting%20Lagting%20Odelsting&f=true |date=10 March 2016 }}, Helen Keller, Alec Stone Sweet, [[Oxford University Press]], 2008, page 210</ref> The division was also used on very rare occasions in cases of [[Impeachment (Norway)|impeachment]]. The original idea in 1814 was probably to have the Lagting act as an actual upper house, and the senior and more experienced members of the Storting were placed there. Later, however, the composition of the Lagting closely followed that of the Odelsting, so that there was very little that differentiated them, and the passage of a bill in the Lagting was mostly a formality.
[[File:Stortinget Lagtinget 01.jpg|thumb|Lagting Hall, which also serves as the meeting room for the [[Christian Democratic Party (Norway)|Christian Democratic Party]]'s parliamentary group. The Lagting was discontinued in 2009.]]

Bills were submitted by the Government to the Odelsting or by a member of the Odelsting; members of the Lagting were not permitted to propose legislation by themselves. A standing committee, with members from both the Odelsting and Lagting, would then consider the bill, and in some cases hearings were held. If passed by the Odelsting, the bill would be sent to the Lagting for review or revision. Most bills were passed unamended by the Lagting and then sent directly to the king for [[royal assent]]. If the Lagting amended the Odelsting's draft, the bill would be sent back to the Odelsting. If the Odelsting approved the Lagting's amendments, the bill would be signed into law by the King.<ref name="Latham">[https://archive.org/details/norwayandnorweg00lathgoog/page/n101 <!-- pg=89 quote=Odelsting. --> ''Norway and the Norwegians''], Robert Gordon Latham, Richard Bentley, 1840, page 89</ref> If it did not, then the bill would return to the Lagting. If the Lagting still proposed amendments, the bill would be submitted to a plenary session of the Storting. To be passed, the bill required the approval of a two-thirds majority of the plenary session. In all other cases a simple majority would suffice.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=DIkWJ3psB2gC&dq=odelsting+lagting&pg=PA204 ''Political Systems Of The World''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923102829/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=DIkWJ3psB2gC&lpg=PA204&dq=odelsting%20lagting&pg=PA204#v=onepage&q=odelsting%20lagting&f=true |date=23 September 2016 }}, J Denis Derbyshire and Ian Derbyshire, Allied Publishers, page 204</ref> Three days had to pass between each time a chamber voted on a bill.<ref name="Latham" /> In all other cases, such as taxes and [[Appropriation (law)|appropriation]]s, the Storting would meet in plenary session.

A proposal to amend the constitution and abolish the Odelsting and Lagting was introduced in 2004 and was passed by the Storting on 20 February 2007 (159–1 with nine absentees).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Bf6xAAAAQBAJ&dq=Storting+lagting+odelsting+norway+2009&pg=PA191 ''Historical Dictionary of Norway''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422153003/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Bf6xAAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA191&dq=Storting%20lagting%20odelsting%20norway%202009&pg=PA191#v=onepage&q=Storting%20lagting%20odelsting%20norway%202009&f=true |date=22 April 2016 }}, Jan Sjåvik, Scarecrow Press, 2008, page 191</ref> It took effect with the newly elected Storting in 2009.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=waInAQAAMAAJ&q=odelsting+lagting+abolished ''Chronicle of Parliamentary Elections''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923110417/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=waInAQAAMAAJ&q=odelsting+lagting+abolished&dq=odelsting+lagting+abolished&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiy4pDavpDPAhXsLMAKHSCjA54Q6AEIHjAA |date=23 September 2016 }}, Volume 43, International Centre for Parliamentary Documentation, 2009, page 192</ref>

===Number of seats===
The number of seats in the Storting has varied over the years. In 1882 there were 114 seats, increasing to 117 in 1903, 123 in 1906, 126 in 1918, 150 in 1921, 155 in 1973, 157 in 1985, 165 in 1989, and 169 as of 2005.