The Iberian Legislatures in Comparative Perspective

The Iberian Legislatures in Comparative Perspective
Author: Jorge M. Fernandes
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2019-05-23
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1351065211

This comprehensive book analyses the development of the legislatures in the Iberian countries over the past 40 years, since democracy was introduced, to comparatively understand their role in these political systems and in sustaining their democratic systems. Sharing many historical developments and institutional characteristics, Spain and Portugal also present crucial differences, notably Spain’s pure parliamentary system, a King as Head of State and a quasi-federal structure, and Portugal’s semi-presidential democracy. Starting with a historical and institutional contextualization of these two legislatures, the book examines the most important organizational and behavioural features of legislative life in Iberian legislatures in a comparative perspective. It also shows how new legislatures develop resilience capacity to support lasting democratic systems as fully fledged institutionalized bodies. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of Spain and Portugal, legislative politics and parliamentarianism, and more broadly to European politics and comparative politics, journalists and practitioners.

Legislatures of Small States

Legislatures of Small States
Author: Nicholas D J Baldwin
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2013-04-02
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1135102988

This book provides a comparative study of the legislatures of small nations, states and territories, to explore the extent to which size is a factor in how they function and fulfil the roles and responsibility of a legislature. Though the physical nature and environment of states is a neglected subject in political science research, this book examines the impact of small state size on the structure and functions of legislatures and contributes to a better understanding of the interplay of physical and social factors. Focussing on legislatures in democratic nations or in territories that are parts of democratic units, the book features case studies on Malta, Bermuda, Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man, Commonwealth Caribbean, Nunavut (Canada), Pacific islands, Swaziland, and Scotland. Contributors employ an interdisciplinary approach to examine both the outcomes and causes of different political mechanisms, and bring to the surface underlying correlation between small states through their analysis. Legislatures of Small States will be of interest to students and scholars of international politics, comparative politics and legislative studies.

Comparative Legislatures

Comparative Legislatures
Author: Michael L. Mezey
Publisher: Durham, N.C. : Duke University Press
Total Pages: 332
Release: 1979
Genre: Law
ISBN:

Legislative Voting and Accountability

Legislative Voting and Accountability
Author: John M. Carey
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2008-12-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1139476793

Legislatures are the core representative institutions in modern democracies. Citizens want legislatures to be decisive, and they want accountability, but they are frequently disillusioned with the representation legislators deliver. Political parties can provide decisiveness in legislatures, and they may provide collective accountability, but citizens and political reformers frequently demand another type of accountability from legislators – at the individual level. Can legislatures provide both kinds of accountability? This book considers what collective and individual accountability require and provides the most extensive cross-national analysis of legislative voting undertaken to date. It illustrates the balance between individualistic and collective representation in democracies, and how party unity in legislative voting shapes that balance. In addition to quantitative analysis of voting patterns, the book draws on extensive field and archival research to provide an extensive assessment of legislative transparency throughout the Americas.

Democratic Legislative Institutions: A Comparative View

Democratic Legislative Institutions: A Comparative View
Author: David M. Olson
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 185
Release: 2015-02-24
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317473140

This text summarizes the research on, and experiences of, democratic legislatures around the world. It focuses on what legislatures are and what they do - as both consequence of and contributor to democratic self-government.

The Oxford Handbook of Political Economy

The Oxford Handbook of Political Economy
Author: Barry R. Weingast
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 1112
Release: 2008-06-19
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0199548471

Over its lifetime, 'political economy' has had different meanings. This handbook views political economy as a synthesis of the various strands of social science, treating it as the methodology of economics applied to the analysis of political behaviour and institutions.

The Oxford Handbook of Legislative Studies

The Oxford Handbook of Legislative Studies
Author: Shane Martin
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 785
Release: 2014
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0199653011

Legislatures are arguably the most important political institution in modern democracies. The Oxford Handbook of Legislative Studies, written by some of the most distinguished legislative scholars in political science, provides a comprehensive and up-to-date description and critical assessment of the state of the art in this key area.

Parliament and Parliamentarism

Parliament and Parliamentarism
Author: Pasi Ihalainen
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2016-01-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1782389555

Parliamentary theory, practices, discourses, and institutions constitute a distinctively European contribution to modern politics. Taking a broad historical perspective, this cross-disciplinary, innovative, and rigorous collection locates the essence of parliamentarism in four key aspects—deliberation, representation, responsibility, and sovereignty—and explores the different ways in which they have been contested, reshaped, and implemented in a series of representative national and regional case studies. As one of the first comparative studies in conceptual history, this volume focuses on debates about the nature of parliament and parliamentarism within and across different European countries, representative institutions, and genres of political discourse.

Legislatures and the Budget Process

Legislatures and the Budget Process
Author: J. Wehner
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2010-06-23
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0230281575

What is the role of legislatures in the budget process? Do powerful assemblies give rise to pro-spending bias? This survey of legislative budgeting tackles these questions using cross-national data and case studies. It highlights the tension between legislative authority and prudent fiscal policy, exploring strategies for reconciliation.