The representative assembly, or parliament, as it is most widely
called, is at once an old, a ubiquitous, and a controversial
political institution. In this century it has attracted the
criticism of both disillusioned democrats and true believers in the
superior representatives of mass movements or of charismatic
leaders. Even among its supporters the institution is constantly
the object of reform. This book deals with parliament (the generic
term for what also may be known as legislature, congress, assembly,
diet, or knesset), what it has been and is, what it does and should
do, and what may become of it. In a wide-ranging and excellently
organized introductory essay, Loewenberg defines the parliamentary
institution and discusses its role in modern times. He points out
that since its appearance in the Middle Ages, the parliamentary
system has been adopted by almost every country, including in
recent years the newly independent nations of Africa and the Middle
East. This essay is followed by differing and often contradictory
views, by American and European scholars, of the role of a
parliament. Issues are defined in the form of examinations of
specific parliamentary bodies, such as the House of Commons, the
Bundestag, the French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, and the
Indian Parliament. Writing from the perspective of different
national experiences, the contributors display varied perceptions
and expectations of the institution, noting those that sustain it
even while they make it controversial. Intended primarily as
provocative reading for students of comparative government and
comparative political institutions; this book illuminates "one of
the most enduring and widely applicable inventions of political
man, thus making it also a valuable work for scholars as well as
practitioners of the political and party process.
General
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