A smaller group formed from and reporting to a main committee, typically focusing on a specific aspect of the larger committee's work.
Formed from Latin prefix 'sub-' (under, below) plus 'committee,' which comes from 'commit' meaning to entrust. The concept emerged in formal governance structures in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Subcommittees are where most of the detailed work in government actually happens - while the main committee might have 40 members, a subcommittee of 5-8 people can dive deep into specific issues and draft the actual legislation. It's democracy's way of dividing labor efficiently.
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