Parliament and Congress
«The strengths of this new work are many ... notable and praiseworthy for its clarity and honesty.»
The Capitol Dome, US Capitol Historical Society
The constitutional background of both legislatures and their procedures are described and where possible compared. Currently unsolved problems often have much in common, in vexed areas such as ethics requirements or how procedural rules permit minorities fair access to legislative time before majorities prevail. Les mer
parallel Chamber. Unsolved problems at Westminster begin with the powers and status of the Lords, and go on through the search for more effective review of EU activities, adapting parliamentary scrutiny to more sophisticated government financial information, and making better use of legislative time
without diminishing back-bench rights.
The accelerated pace and extent of procedural changes in Congress is problematic. Constant pursuit of campaign funds, increased party exploitation of Members' ethical shortcomings, and partisan reapportionments, have diminished collegiality and compromise. Business is conducted with greater predictability, with fewer quorum calls, postponement and clustering of votes, and by utilization of ad hoc special orders, often in derogation of openness and minority rights in the House. Minority
complaints have been frequent and occasionally extreme. Conversely constant filibuster threats in the Senate have enhanced minority party power there. An 'inverse ratio' between the greater complexity, importance, and urgency of pending legislation on the one hand, and diminution of deliberative capacity,
fairness. and transparency on the other, has been repeatedly demonstrated, especially at the stage of final compromises between the Houses.
Detaljer
- Forlag
- Oxford University Press
- Innbinding
- Innbundet
- Språk
- Engelsk
- ISBN
- 9780199273621
- Utgivelsesår
- 2010
- Format
- 25 x 18 cm
Anmeldelser
«The strengths of this new work are many ... notable and praiseworthy for its clarity and honesty.»
The Capitol Dome, US Capitol Historical Society
«In this compendium the authors build upon and extend previous comparative studies of Parliament and Congress, taking into account the most recent evolution of parliamentary practice in London and Washington... [This] is a book that every student of Parliament or Congress should keep close at hand.»
APSA Legislative Studies Section Newsletter