Study Notes on Legislatures

Introduction to Legislatures

  • Today's lecture focuses on legislatures, divided into two videos.
  • Topics covered include:
    • The roles of legislatures in democratic governance.
    • Different variations of legislatures around the world.
    • Examination of bicameral systems.
    • Legislators' roles in authoritarian regimes.

Roles of Legislatures in Democratic Governance

Key Distinctions in Democratic Regime Types

  • The relationship between the legislature and the executive is crucial:
    • Parliamentary Systems:
    • Legislature and executive are interdependent.
    • Power is fused; no distinct branches exist.
    • Parliament elects the Prime Minister (PM) and cabinet, functioning as an electoral college but more than just that.
    • Presidential Systems:
    • The executive and legislature are independently elected.
    • Both branches share power; neither can act without the agreement of the other.
    • Considered distinct branches counteracting each other.

Powers and Functions of Legislatures

  • In parliamentary systems, legislatures often appear as rubber stamps for policy proposals by the cabinet, leading to criticism.
  • However, they still maintain significant powers, including:
    • Agenda Setting Authority: They may not act decisively against the cabinet but maintain the right to vet and modify proposals.
    • Oversight of the Bureaucracy: Legislatures oversee the implementation of laws, ensuring bureaucratic compliance with legislative intent.
    • Firing Executives: Parliaments can remove PMs and cabinets if necessary, as demonstrated by political maneuvers in the UK (e.g., Theresa May's and Boris Johnson's challenges from Parliament).

Case Studies in Legislative Power

  • Recent UK Parliament actions during Brexit highlight the active role of Parliament in checks and balances:
    • Parliament confronts the government over Brexit negotiations.
    • Instances of PMs attempting to bypass Parliament leading to legal challenges.

Variations of Legislatures around the World

Unicameralism vs. Bicameralism

  • Unicameral legislatures consist of a single chamber, while bicameral legislatures have two chambers.
  • About 40% of national legislatures are bicameral:
    • Historical trends show shifts from bicameralism to unicameralism in various countries (e.g., Queensland, Nebraska).
    • In contrast, some countries add additional chambers when developing legislatures (e.g., Tunisia).

Examples of Bicameral Legislatures

  • Typically found in larger countries:
    • Criteria for having two chambers can include ensuring representation of different groups or checks and balances.
    • Varieties of bicameral systems exist, including:
    • Symmetrical Bicameralism: Both chambers have equal powers (e.g., Italy).
    • Asymmetrical Bicameralism: One chamber has more power than the other (e.g., UK).

Legislative Structure and Regime Types

  • Bicameralism can exist in both presidential and parliamentary systems:
    • Examples demonstrate that legislative structures vary and do not correlate neatly with regime types.

Internal Operation of Legislatures

Oversight Functions

  • Role of legislatures in overseeing the executive varies significantly across systems:
    • In presidential systems, oversight is more critical since the executive is a separate branch.
    • Committees within legislatures play vital roles in scrutinizing the actions of the cabinet and bureaucracies.

Legislative Disagreement Mechanisms

  • When bicameral systems disagree, resolution mechanisms may include:
    • Shuttle System: Bills are exchanged back and forth until agreement is reached.
    • Conference Committees: Members from both houses meet to resolve differences.
    • Joint Sessions: Both chambers meet together to vote, although this can lead to dominance by the larger chamber.

Conclusion on Legislative Roles

Bicameralism and Governance

  • Legislatures serve essential functions in lawmaking and executive oversight.
  • Bicameral structures can complicate legislative functions, possibly leading to gridlock.
  • Effective governance requires cohesive functioning of both chambers or an efficient breakdown of roles.

Legislators in Authoritarian Regimes

Purpose of Legislative Structures in Dictatorships

  • Reasons for the existence of legislatures in authoritarian regimes include:
    • Facilitated Power Sharing: Offering limited power-sharing agreements.
    • Illusion of Democracy: Creating a semblance of democratic processes for public or international appeasement.
    • Resource Distribution: Legislatures serve as outlets for patronage and distributing goods to loyalist supporters.
    • Dictator’s Dilemma: Understanding public support levels through manipulated legislative processes.

Closing Remarks

  • Conclusions emphasize the role of legislatures in both supporting and checking power, and the complexities involved in their operations across different regimes.
  • Next lecture will focus on federalism and decentralization in governments.
  • Students are encouraged to engage with the content during office hours for further discussions and clarifications.

The note mentions several mechanisms for resolving legislative disagreements in bicameral systems: the shuttle system, where bills are exchanged back and forth until agreement is reached; conference committees, where members from both houses meet to resolve differences; and joint sessions, where both chambers meet together to vote. However, the note does not specify which of these is the most common.