ABSTRACT

Irina Khmelko, Frederick Stapenhurst, and Michael L. Mezey have assembled an authoritative guide to the declining institutional capacities of legislatures around the world.

Case studies represent a diverse sample of countries, ranging from newer democracies emerging from the post-communist world to more established but at times fragile democracies in Asia. Although largely focused on newer democratic systems, readers will be able to identify key factors that explain the general global trend toward the empowerment of executives at the expense of national legislatures. The cases, although different from one another, identify several factors that have explained the erosion of legislative power, including historical legacies, institutional design, economic factors, external factors, political polarization, personalization of politics, and the rise of populism. Original data and the presentation of testable theoretical propositions about the growing imbalance between executives and national legislatures moves the field in a promising new direction.

Legislative Decline in the 21st Century will be of interest to students and scholars of Legislative Studies and Comparative Politics. Lessons drawn from these case studies will allow policy makers to explore new solutions that can lead to the improved quality of democracy in countries around the world.

chapter |16 pages

Introduction

Vulnerable Legislatures in the Era of Strong Executives

chapter 2|15 pages

The Rise of Powerful Executives

Comparing the Ukrainian and Russian Legislatures

chapter 3|12 pages

A New Parliament in the Economic Crisis

Slovenia’s National Assembly, 2008–2016

chapter 4|18 pages

Poland

The Road to Authoritarianism is Paved by Gradual Majoritarian Shifts

chapter 5|12 pages

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey

A Decline in Legislative Capacity

chapter 6|11 pages

The Decline of the Lok Sabha in India

The Impact of Party Polarization, Rise of the Media, and the BJP’s Dominance on Parliamentary Efficacy

chapter 8|11 pages

Changes in Executive-Legislative Relationship

A Comparative Analysis of Turkey and Central European Countries

chapter 11|12 pages

Mexico

The Rise of Presidential Populism and the Decline of Congress

chapter |9 pages

Conclusion

A Theory of Global Legislative Decline?