Comparative European Politics - Lecture 7: Parliaments
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Questions and Answers

Substantive gender representation indicates that women's interests are not represented within parliament.

False (B)

Most democratic parliaments globally have a higher number of women compared to men.

False (B)

Countries with gender quotas require political parties to nominate a specific percentage of female candidates.

True (A)

A typical European parliamentarian is often younger compared to the general population.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The argument that demographic sub-groups are best represented by their members applies only to gender.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A bicameral parliament has only one chamber.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Unicameral parliaments consist of two distinct chambers.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The second chamber in a strong bicameral system has formal power to veto legislation.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Belgium's parliament is unicameral.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Germany's parliament is known as Bundestag and is unicameral.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a bicameral parliament, legislation must be deliberated in two distinct assemblies.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Cyprus has a bicameral parliament.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The membership in the lower and upper chamber of a strong bicameral system is the same.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Strong parties have contributed to the decline of the individual parliamentarians' importance.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

High levels of parliamentary party group voting unity are uncommon in most European Parliaments today.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Procedural prerogatives have transitioned from party leaders to individual MPs.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Parliamentary party cohesion is more likely in a two-party system across multiple policy areas.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A prime minister with a majority party and high voting unity has limited control over the legislative process.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Parliamentary party discipline contributes to the strength of a party parliament.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The volume of legislation in parliamentary politics has decreased over time.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Parliamentary party groups in two-party systems can be described as narrow and ideologically focused.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The UK has the largest number of national legislators with a total of 1441 members.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The smallest lower chamber in a country belongs to Germany, which has 42 members.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Committees in a parliament can be influential in determining the power dynamics between members and party leaders.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Scandinavian parliaments are known for having weak committee systems compared to other regions.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The committee system allows parliament members to specialize, leading to better legislative activities.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The internal organization of a legislature plays no role in determining where power lies within it.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The German Bundestag consists of 23 substantive committees.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Members of a powerful committee can effectively protect the specific interests of their constituents.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a decentralized organizational structure, power predominantly resides with party leaders.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The committee system in parliaments is uniform in its power and significance across different countries.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Parliamentary investigations can last for several weeks or even years.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The primary aim of audits is to enhance corruption.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Representatives in a candidate-centred electoral system focus mainly on party affiliation.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The ultimate power of a parliament is to conduct investigations only.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In party-centred electoral systems, legislators act primarily as representatives of their individual constituents.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Interest representation in national parliaments channels the voice of ordinary citizens.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

More candidate-centred electoral systems are expected to produce legislators that are less sensitive to their constituents' interests.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Parliaments should ideally reflect the diverse ideological, political, and demographic characteristics of the citizenry.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Parliament can remove the government through a vote of no confidence in all European countries.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A constructive no confidence procedure allows parliament to remove an executive only if a new one is appointed simultaneously.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Oversight involves the monitoring of executive agencies to ensure they implement policy decisions.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Parliaments do not need to monitor the activities of the bureaucracy as part of their oversight responsibilities.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Parliamentary questions and interpellations are the same and serve no distinct purpose.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Parliament typically has a variety of tools to oversee the executive, including audit committees and the power to dismiss members.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In some systems, parliament lacks the power to dismiss the executive altogether.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Interpellations are solely written questions submitted by parliamentarians to the executive.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Unicameral Parliament

A parliament with only one legislative chamber.

Bicameral Parliament

A parliament with two distinct legislative chambers.

Bicameralism

The process of debating and approving legislation in two separate chambers.

Upper Chamber

The upper house of a bicameral parliament.

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Lower Chamber

The lower house of a bicameral parliament.

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Strong Bicameral System

A bicameral system where the second chamber has substantial power to influence and potentially veto legislation.

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Differentiated Membership Base

The membership base of the upper chamber is different from the lower chamber.

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Key Features of Strong Bicameralism

A strong bicameral system has two key features: significant power of the second chamber and a differentiated membership base.

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Substantive Gender Representation

The extent to which women's interests are effectively represented in parliament.

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Demographic Subgroup Representation

The idea that a demographic group is best represented by someone from within that group.

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Gender Imbalance in Parliaments

The imbalance in the number of women and men in parliaments worldwide, with men significantly outnumbering women.

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Gender Quotas

Legal measures requiring political parties to nominate a minimum percentage of female candidates.

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Typical European Parliamentarian Profile

The typical profile of a European parliamentarian: male, white, heterosexual, non-disabled, and older than the general population.

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Vote of No Confidence

The ability of a parliament to remove the government through a vote.

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Constructive No Confidence

A procedure where parliament can only remove the executive if a new executive is simultaneously appointed.

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Parliamentary Oversight

The process of monitoring government agencies and ensuring they are fulfilling their commitments to the public.

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Parliamentary Questions

Formal questions asked by parliamentarians to members of the executive.

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Interpellation

A type of parliamentary question that is more extensive, resembling a short debate.

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Parliamentary Oversight Tools

Tools used by parliaments to ensure the executive is accountable, including questions, investigations, and audits.

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Audit Office

An independent entity that examines government finances and ensures proper use of public funds.

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Power of Dismissal

Parliament's power to dismiss the government or individual members of the executive.

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Legislature Size and Population

The relationship between the number of legislators and the population of a country, where bigger populations usually correspond to larger legislatures.

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Internal Parliamentary Organization

The internal organization of a parliament, including the allocation of authority and resources, greatly influences where power lies within the legislature.

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Party Leader Influence

The degree to which party leaders control individual members within a parliament.

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Decentralized Power

The ability of individual members, rather than party leaders, to hold power within a parliament.

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Parliamentary Committees

Groups within a parliament formed to specialize in specific policy areas, often seen as vital to the parliament's functioning.

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Committee Member Benefits

The practice of parliament members using committees to benefit their constituents, which can be seen as a potential drawback.

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Committee Significance

The power and effectiveness of parliamentary committees are determined by factors such as their number, appointment procedures, and authority within the legislative process.

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Committee Strength Comparisons

Scandinavian parliaments are known for having strong committees wielding significant influence, while countries like the UK and Ireland have historically had weaker committees.

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Benefits of the Committee System

The delegation of authority to committees within a parliament helps optimize members' time and allows for specialization in specific policy areas.

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Potential Drawbacks of Committees

The committee system, while providing benefits, can also be used by members to distribute advantages to their constituents, raising questions of fairness.

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Parliamentary Investigation

The ability of a parliament to meticulously examine a past event or a current issue, often spanning weeks to years.

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Parliamentary Audit

A review of government spending and income to assess value for money and good governance.

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Parliamentary Dismissal

The ultimate power of a parliament, allowing it to remove the executive branch from office.

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Parliamentary Representation

The function of parliaments representing the interests of citizens through elected representatives.

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Candidate-Centred Electoral Systems

Electoral systems where voters choose individuals based on their personal qualities, not party affiliation.

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Party-Centred Electoral System

Electoral systems where voters choose parties based on their policies and affiliations.

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Constituent Sensitivity

Legislators in candidate-centred systems are more likely to respond to the needs of their constituents.

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Legislature Representation

The idea that the legislature should reflect the diversity of the population in terms of ideology, politics, and demographics.

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Strong parties, weak parliaments

The increase in legislation volume resulted in fewer MPs having legislative power, leading to a shift of power to party leaders and the cabinet, ultimately weakening the parliament in favor of strong parties.

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Parliamentary party voting unity

The extent to which MPs from the same party vote together consistently.

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Prime Minister's control under high party voting unity

High parliamentary party voting unity gives the Prime Minister with a majority control over the legislative process, minimizing the parliament's role.

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Parliamentary party cohesion

Members of the same party share similar policy preferences across various issues.

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Ideological heterogeneity in two-party systems

Two-party systems often have diverse policy views within parties, resulting in heterogeneous party groups.

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Cohesion and voting unity

High levels of parliamentary party cohesion can contribute to high observed voting unity during legislative processes.

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Parliamentary party discipline

A phenomenon where MPs from the same party vote together due to collective obligations and party leadership decisions.

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Sources of party voting unity

Parliamentary party discipline and cohesion contribute significantly to high levels of parliamentary party voting unity.

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Study Notes

Comparative European Politics - Lecture 7: Parliaments

  • Parliaments are heavily scrutinized today, with questions raised about the interests parliamentarians serve. There's debate on whether parliaments meaningfully impact modern politics, with executive dominance often cited as a significant factor.
  • The concept of executive dominance, (the imbalance of power between executive and legislature favouring the executive), is a widely discussed theme in modern politics, and is not a new idea. Ostrogorsky (1902), and Bryce (1921) both wrote of the decline of parliaments.
  • National parliaments across Europe are fundamental to representative democracy. They play vital roles in representation, law-making, oversight of the executive, and government formation.
  • Comparisons are often made between European parliaments and the U.S. Congress, but their differing systems make comparisons problematic.
  • Parliaments vary considerably in their design, specifically pertaining to structure and size, influencing their internal organization which is crucial in determining where power truly lies within the legislative processes.
  • A parliament's cameral structure designates the number of chambers and the relationship between them (similarity/differences). Unicameral systems have only one chamber, whereas bicameral systems have two. The key element in bicameral systems is the requirement of legislation being deliberated in two distinct assemblies.
  • Examples of different types and sizes of parliamentary structures are presented (see table).
  • Strong bicameral systems demonstrate two key features beyond the presence of two chambers: first, the second chamber is empowered in lawmaking, possibly to the extent of vetoing legislation. Second, there is differentiated membership in the chambers.
  • The British House of Lords is often seen as a revising chamber. The German Bundesrat is a significant player, representing German states at the federal level. The Italian Senate has unique characteristics.
  • Different countries have various forms of parliamentary procedures, including the 'investiture' vote used in some countries such as Italy to approve the executive's choice by voting.
  • Parliaments vary in the ability to influence or select the government. Three common cases exist: (a) vote of no confidence, (b) a constructive no confidence procedure, and (c) in semi-presidential systems, the parliament cannot remove the executive.
  • The oversight process entails continuous monitoring of executive agencies, ensuring compliance with policy commitments. Parliaments use various tools: parliamentary questions and interpellations, investigations and hearings, audit committees/offices, and the ability to dismiss the executive.
  • The degree to which committees influence a parliamentary process reflects where power truly lies (with committees, individual members, or party leaders). Committee systems differ across parliaments in structure, composition, and authority.
  • Important functions of parliaments include law-making, government formation, oversight and representation.
  • Law-making may be limited by the country's constitution. The government often plays a pivotal role, sometimes akin to a "rubber stamp," in law-making.
  • Power dynamics shift in the lawmaking process: the executive, while influencing, is still beholden to parliamentarian interests (rationally, the executive must remain sensitive to these interests).
  • In government formation, voters do not directly elect the executive. Instead, parliaments select executives, and the process often depends on majority party support.
  • The study of government formation focuses on which parties form the government, and cabinet type (i.e., single-party or multi-party, and majority or minority).
  • In certain systems, parliaments play a more significant role in selecting and/or removing executives than in others.
  • The influence of globalization and regional political integration influences a parliament's ability to shape policy decisions.

Key Terminology

  • Cameral Structure: The number of chambers and the relationship between them in a parliament.
  • Unicameral Parliament: A parliament with one chamber.
  • Bicameral Parliament: A parliament with two chambers.
  • Executive Dominance: The situation where the executive branch holds more power than the legislative branch in a political system.
  • Ostrogorsky: (1902) Author of a study on the decline of parliaments.
  • Bryce: (1921) Author of a study on the decline of parliaments.
  • Investiture vote: A formal vote in some parliamentary systems to approve the choice of executive.

Table - Parliament Structures

  • (Specific parliament details are included in this table)*
  • (Table body would be filled in from the linked documents)*

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This quiz assesses your understanding of the role and significance of parliaments in Europe. Explore the concept of executive dominance, the historical context of parliamentary decline, and the comparison between European parliaments and the U.S. Congress. Test your knowledge on the functions and structures of national parliaments in representative democracy.

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