Parliaments

The notion of parliament has existed for almost as long as people have gathered to debate alternative viewpoints and take associated decisions. As the complexity and formality ascribed to these gatherings increased, the institution of parliament developed. It comes under a variety of names, from the most common assembly, legislature, or parliament to more regionally specific ones such as Storting or Diet. Parliaments are institutions that bring together formally recognized members to discuss and legitimize decisions on matters affecting the community at large. The level of formality and power credited to those discussions and decisions varies, as does the level of representation. This entry first describes how the role of parliaments has changed considerably since the 19th century. The factors affecting the role and power of parliaments are considered, and the key roles performed by these institutions are identified. Each of these roles—legislation, scrutiny, and representation—is assessed, and the organization of parliaments is described. The entry concludes by outlining the main areas on which research on parliaments has focused.

The history of parliaments is intrinsically linked to that of democracy. Each wave of democratization identified by Samuel Huntington has corresponded to stages in the development of parliaments. The first wave encompasses the spread of liberalism in 19th-century Europe. With this came the creation [Page 1772]of new parliamentary institutions, as well as the legitimization of their representative value and role in the decision-making process. As the value of representative democracy grew, parliaments became central institutions of political systems, particularly in Europe. With the 20th century came considerable changes that affected the power and role of parliaments. As democracy expanded with the emergence of newly independent countries (the second wave of democratization), so did its complexity. The changes affecting parliament were twofold. First was the development of mass parties; the expansion of the electoral franchise saw parties becoming key institutions in the representation process, acquiring an important role in the expression of policies and mediation of interests, which had been key roles of the original liberal parliaments. Second, there was an expansion of the state; the emergence of the welfare state saw legislation growing more complex, increasingly developing into a matter for the executive rather than parliament. By the mid-20th century, some parliamentary roles and powers had been transferred to other institutions. However, as the third wave of democratization started, in the 1970s, many authoritarian regimes turned to democracy, putting parliaments at the core of their transitions. Simultaneously, a wider range of parliamentary roles and powers started to be more fully recognized. This was a time when the paradigm of the decline of parliament gave way to the paradigm of the role of parliament. Besides representation and legislation, parliaments play a variety of other roles, from education to providing a safety valve, legitimation, and scrutiny. Never before have there been so many parliaments, not only at the national level but also locally, regionally, and supranationally. Since the end of the 20th century, parliaments have expanded considerably in number and in complexity.

The powers and roles of parliaments differ according to their political context—the type of political, electoral, and party systems. Being part of a parliamentary, hybrid, or presidential political system has implications for the separation of powers and the relationship between parliament and other institutions, especially the executive. Different electoral systems, and associated party systems, also affect parliaments by determining the number of parties present in parliament, the potential support base for government, the strength of party discipline, the type of representative mandate, and the parliament's organization. Indeed, some parliaments are not elected at all and are not composed of party members. Therefore, parliaments have differing powers and roles according to the characteristics of these structural variables, though all, in varying degrees, make a link between citizens and governance.

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