Parliaments in Time

<em>Comparative Politics</em> is a series for researchers teachers and students of political science<br>that deals with contemporary government and politics. Global in scope books in the series<br>are characterized by a stress on comparative analysis and strong methodological rigour. The<br>series is published in association with the European Consortium for Political Research. For<br>more information visit: www.ecprnet.eu <p/>The series is edited by Emilie van Haute Professor of Political Science Universit� libre de<br>Bruxelles; Ferdinand M�ller-Rommel Director of the Center for the Study of Democracy <br>Leuphana University; and Susan Scarrow John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Political<br>Science University of Houston. <p/>How can we explain the evolution of legislatures in Western Europe? This book analyses<br>ninety procedural reforms which restructured control over the plenary agenda and<br>committee power in Britain France Sweden and Germany between 1866 and 2015.<br>Legislatures evolve towards one of two procedural ideal types: talking (where governments<br>control the agenda) or working legislatures (with powerful committees). All else being<br>equal legislators' demand for mega-seats on legislative committees triggers the evolution<br>of working legislatures. If however legislators fail to centralize agenda control in<br>response to anti-system obstruction legislative procedures break down. Rather than<br>a decline of legislatures talking legislatures accordingly indicate the resilience of<br>legislative democracy. In conclusion the book shows the causal nexus between<br>procedural reforms and (legislative) democracy.<br>