Term
| Potential Functions of Legislatures |
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Definition
- To legislate
- To represent
- To debate
- To educate
- To institutionalize opposition
- To investigate issues and events
- To suggest or initiate new policies
- To scrutinize executive activities
- To legitimate the policies of the executive
- To ratify or veto executive decisions and actions
- To refine and improve policies suggested by the executive
- To decide who holds executive offices (in parliamentary systems)
- To provide alternative governments or political leaders
- To provide an ombudsman service for citizens
- To adjudicate in a judicial or quasi-judicial role |
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Term
| Factors Limiting the Effectiveness of Legislatures |
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Definition
- Executive dominance
- Party discipline
- Size
- Frequency of meetings
- Amount and complexity of legislation
- Number, size and membership of committees
- Research and support staff
- Legislators' pay
- Procedural rules
- Informal rewards and penalties
- Electoral system
- Media attention
- Political culture |
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Term
| Models of Representation in Legislature |
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Definition
Delegate model – where MPs express and act on the views of the constituents
Trustee model – where MPs use their own independent judgment
Microcosm/Mirror Model - a legislature should contain representatives who share the social characteristics of constituents |
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Term
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Definition
- A unicameral legislature – has only one chamber, and all members of the legislature belong to and participate in that chamber. Ex. Israel
- A bicameral legislature – has 2 separate chambers (often called houses) and members of the legislature belong only to one of those chambers and have a right to participate in only their chamber’s proceedings. Ex. Canada |
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Term
| Types of Parliamentary Government |
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Definition
- Majority – is one where one party has a majority of members in the cabinet
- Minority – arises where there is one party that fills all the cabinet positions but more than one party needed to form the majority in the legislature to support the government
- Coalition government – is formed when more than one party is in the cabinet is needed to form a majority in the legislature |
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Term
| Functions of Upper Houses |
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Definition
- Give ‘sober second thought’
- Provide an additional check and balance in legislative process
- Provide special representation for populations and interests under-represented In the lower house
- Conduct special policy inquiries |
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Term
| Absolute Veto and Suspensive Veto |
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Definition
Suspensive veto – the members of the upper house vote down a measure already approved by the lower house or do not approve it, then the members of the lower house must pass a motion restating the approval of the bill, at which point the bill becomes law
Absolute veto – The Upper House has the power to defeat a bill and both houses must pass a bill in identical form before it can become law |
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Term
| Proposals of Reform for Legislatures |
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Definition
- Greater use of free votes
- Expanding the autonomy and responsibility of legislative committees
- Increasing the scope for private members’ bills
- Strengthening the legitimacy of the upper house by electing members
- Addressing the under representation of women and minorities |
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