ABSTRACT
In the National Assembly the influence of the majority on the Government gives Parliament a real political importance which is neglected by public opinion because the influence is mainly exercised behind the scenes. In the Assembly there was a loyal majority which, like disciplined majority parties in other countries, frequently criticized and sought to influence the Government but in the last resort accepted its decisions and voted for them with impressive discipline. Michel Debre took his model from the British House of Commons, but he did not believe that the French electorate would ever, like the British, return a solid party majority. He therefore tried to invent formal rules and restrictions to achieve by procedural means the results which in Britain are the consequence of party discipline. The drastic procedure was invented by desperate Fourth Republican Governments in the last decaying year of the old regime. In the old regime Parliament dominated the Government and denied itself effective leadership.
