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The Legislative Body and Assemblies
The Legislative Body and Assemblies
The Legislative Body and Assemblies
Political Science 11
ASSEMBLIES
Legislative
Executive
Judiciary
-interpret laws and to determine whether there has been a grave abuse
-the power is vested on the Supreme Court and lower courts
PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM
(The term parliament originated from the French word parler, which means to speak.)
-form of government adapted mostly by liberal democracies; mostly Westminster-style, using the UK
Parliament as the model or basis
-separate chambers were created during the 14th Century:
1. House of commons
2. House of Lords
=responsible for checking the work of government and examining new laws.
-central feature: fusion of legislative and executive branch, whose functions delve on policy making
and policy executing
-expected to deliver a responsible government
-the political party who wins an overall majority in the house of commons at a general election
forms the new government and the prime minister who is the head of the government
-prime minister appoint ministers who work in the government department
-adopted by Canada, Sweden, India, Japan, and Australia
-linked with weak government and political instability (such as the problem of executive domination)
PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM
-application of the doctrine of separation of powers ; separate election of the three branches of the
government
-applies the system of checks and balances
-virtue: to create internal tensions that help to protect individual rights and liberties through
separating the executive and legislative branches
-the government of the USA is a classic example of a presidential system
FUNCTIONS OF ASSEMBLIES
Legislation
-key function of assemblies; they are vested with this power in order for laws to be seen as
authoritative and binding
-the assembly serves as a forum wherein laws proposed are openly discussed and debated
-assemblies are constituted to suggest that the people make the laws themselves
Representation
-as representatives, assemblies provide the link between the government and the people
-assemblies as popular forums are bodies that stood for the people themselves
-parliamentary: as independent actors, representatives are responsible in exercising their own
judgment and wisdom in behalf of their constituents
-doctrine of the mandate: political parties serve as the central mechanism in which representation
takes place
Legitimacy
-assemblies function to encourage the public to see the system of rule of a current regime as
rightful
STRUCTURE OF ASSEMBLIES
-structural differences in assemblies involve the number of chambers that comprise them, as well as
the nature and role of their committee systems
-majority of assemblies are either unicameral (single chamber) or bicameral (two chambers)
UNICAMERAL
-typically exist in small or unitary states; societies with this kind of assembly believe that it is more
effective in addressing the needs of small societies
-adopted by majority of African countries, communist and post-communist states
BICAMERAL
-central principle of liberal constitutionalism; more effective in strengthening checks and balances
inside assemblies and between the executive and assemblies
-usually consists of the Senate (upper house) and the House of Representatives (lower house)
-in the Philippine setting, there are 24 senators and 250 congressmen that make up for the upper
and lower houses
-practiced by half of the worlds states
ADVANTAGES
more effective in checking the power of the
executive
widen basis of representation
scrutinizing is more thorough
second chamber
safeguard
acts
as
constitutional
DISADVANTAGES
possibility of creating complexity and difficulty
in the legislative process
possibility of narrowing access to policy-making
possibility of institutional conflict in the
legislature
may introduce conservative political bias
COMMITTEE SYSTEMS
-power houses of assemblies ; hub of the legislative process
1. Ad hoc committees
2. Standing committees
-functions:
ADVANTAGES
allow the representation of different views,
opinions and interests
pave the way for longer and more detailed
debates
encourage efficiency in decision-making by
restricting the scope of opposing opinions
possibility of division of labor that encourages
the accumulation of knowledge (both in
expertise and specialization)
DISADVANTAGES
may easily be manipulated by a powerful figure
encourage centralization
narrow down the scope of views and interests
taken into account during decision-making
isolation from the larger body, causing sham
representation
-assemblies accepted the central role of scrutinizing and criticizing, rather than making policy (loss
of positive legislative power)
*Lack of Leadership
-egalitarian and fragmented nature of assemblies weaken their leadership and capacity to take action
REFERENCES :
Heywood, Andrew. Politics. Houndmills, Basingstoke, England: Macmillan, 1997. Print.
Rodee, Carlton Clymer, Totton James Anderson, and Carl Quimby Christol. Introduction to political
science. 2d ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967. Print.
"Checks and Balances." Fact Monster: Online Almanac, Dictionary, Encyclopedia, and Homework
Help. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2014. http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0777009.html