The New Roles of Parliamentary Committees


Book Description

Parliaments had been expected to decline in significance at the end of the 20th century, but instead they have developed new and vital political roles and have innovated their institutional structure in parliamentary committees, not only in a few parliaments, but as a global phenomenon.







Israel and Europe


Book Description

This volume - a collaborative effort between The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Saxonian universities - is a source book for students and researchers of European Studies. Its scope is interdisciplinary and incorporates contributions from social psychology, international relations, economics, political science, and sociology.




From Legislation to Legitimation


Book Description

This book is unique as the only book on the Portuguese parliament in English. The Portuguese parliament is a valuable case study to understand the different stages of development of a newly democratic parliament. From Legislation to Legitimation shows that, as democracy developed, the role of the Portuguese parliament changed considerably. Whereas in the first years of democracy the Assembleia da Republica was centred on its legislative role, during the second decade its legitimation role expanded, making scrutiny parliament's main function.




Resolving Regional Conflicts


Book Description

The end of the cold war has not meant an end to conflict around the world. Disagreements still exist, and discord continues to erupt into battles. In Resolving Regional Conflicts, twelve scholars present a broad introduction to the issue of discord within and between nations, exploring models by which emerging security problems can be analyzed and looking at specific conflicts and the ways they are being handled.




Southern European Parliaments in Democracy


Book Description

Southern European Parliaments in Democracy analyses the development of the parliaments of Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey since the mid-1980s. This book considers the challenges of the transition to democracy and outlines how the Parliaments of Southern Europe have adapted to the pressures of a democratic polity. Its focus is an assessment of the main changes that have taken place since the periods of transition to democracy right up to the present day. Chapters are country specific and consider a variety of indicators, from legislation and scrutiny to the social background of MPs. This book was previously published as a special issue of the Journal of Legislative Studies.




The Scottish Parliament


Book Description

This book is unique in analysing the new Scottish Parliament from a systematically comparative perspective. Its basic premise is that since devolution in 1999 Scotland can be considered a Scandinavian-style democracy with several features of a Scandinavian-style parliament. The basic research question, therefore, is: 'Has the Scottish Parliament in its first four-year term manifested a Scandinavian-style politics in the sense that there has been a high incidence of inter-party negotiation within Parliament?' The architects of the Scottish Parliament saw the committees as the motor of a 'new politics' and gave them extensive powers. Outside Austria, only the Swedish and Icelandic committees have comparable powers. Accordingly, the study sets out to describe and analyse the workings of the committees in the Scottish, Swedish and Icelandic Parliaments. The concluding chapter also discusses the operation of the Danish, Finnish and Norwegian committees.




Development Aid in Stable Democracies and Fragile States


Book Description

This book is based on experience and reflections related to international support provided to parliaments and legislative bodies both in selected countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, Serbia, and Kyrgyzstan) and globally. The author intends to provide a critique of parliamentary support, as part of development assistance or foreign aid, for having been conceived in narrow terms of technical assistance and for failing to appreciate that aid effectiveness calls for a sound understanding of a country’s politics, culture, and history. The monograph examines the effectiveness of aid in both stable democracies, and fragile and transition countries. The project is ideal for audiences interested in regional politics, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, and development/democracy studies.




The Uneasy Relationships Between Parliamentary Members and Leaders


Book Description

The bases of uneasy member-leadership relations, their manifestation and sometimes resolution, and the consequences of member-leadership tension to effective parliamentary performace and policy-making are considered in studies ranging from Germany to the US and New Zealand and globally.