ABSTRACT
While making laws or major policy decisions and overseeing the executive branch, a legislature ensures both horizontal accountability among governmental institutions and vertical accountability of those in power to the general public. A legislature's robust leverage independent of the executive branch in policy making is essential for realizing checks and balances between the two branches of government. Also, a legislative institution needs a significant policy influence so that it can serve as a central site where social demands and interests are made known to the government. Thus a properly working legislature in the policy-making process can ultimately contribute to the development and maintenance of a democratic regime. 1
