Legislative Assemblies: Voters, Members, and Leaders

Legislative assemblies in democratic societies face the challenges of institutional capacity and accountability to their citizens. This book identifies three ideal types of democratic assemblies and analyzes national legislative assemblies in the world's 68 most populous democracies. The analysis reveals that the fate of incumbents depends on member resources and leadership control, but is ultimately constrained by voter confidence.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 09 November 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Democratic societies face the dual challenges of institutional capacity and accountability to their citizens. Legislative assemblies, by whatever name they are known, such as Parliaments, Legislatures, or Assemblies, must navigate these challenges effectively. In addressing these challenges, assemblies vary in their approach to serving the interests of three critical sets of actors: their members, party leaders, and voters.

This book, authored by Shane Martin and Kaare W. Strøm, explores the dynamics of democratic assemblies by identifying three ideal types: the members' assembly, the leaders' assembly, and the voters' assembly. These models serve as a framework for analyzing national legislative assemblies in the world's 68 most populous democracies, ranging from Finland to Papua New Guinea.

Through extensive new cross-national data, the authors trace the implications of these assembly types for the design, internal organization, resources, and powers of democratic national assemblies. They develop indices to measure each assembly type and score each of the 68 legislative assemblies on these indices. The analysis of legislative re-election rates in these countries reveals that the fate of incumbents depends on a combination of member resources and leadership control, but ultimately is constrained by voter confidence.

In conclusion, the authors discuss the past and future trajectories of legislative assemblies, including their susceptibility to democratic backsliding. They emphasize the importance of maintaining a balance between the interests of different actors and ensuring that legislative assemblies remain accountable to their citizens. This book offers valuable insights into the dynamics of democratic assemblies and their role in shaping the political landscape of democratic societies.

Weight: 664g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198890843