Core elements of a democratic state (II): Parliament

In a democracy power is derived from the people. Elected representatives meeting in parliament usually exercise this power. Their most important job is to (help) determine the political direction of the state by passing laws (legislative function). It is for this reason that parliament is also known as the legislative.

In addition to this, parliament has a controlling influence on other state bodies (control function), preventing them from taking independent action against the will of the people. One of the first jobs of parliament, then, is to establish what the will of the people is. One way of doing this is by holding regular elections. In addition to this, parliamentarians of all political persuasion have a responsibility to represent the opinion of their voters during arguments and debates (articulation function), as well as finding out what the majority of the people (represented by the majority of MPs) want. Members of parliament should also make sure that the political problems faced by the nation are brought to the attention of the public and that a public discussion takes place (the function of forming a public will). Political argument and debate is carried out during public sessions of parliament. This keeps citizens informed about all that is happening.

The following text passages explains the individual duties of parliament:

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Parliament in a democratic state

Legislative function

Within the scope of its legislative function, parliament can introduce a proposal for law (the right to introduce a bill). Different bodies may be entitled to do this. In a democratic democracy it is usually the government that introduces bills before parliament, since it commands a majority in parliament and therefore has the greatest chance of success.

After a bill has been introduced it is discussed in the parliament's plenum. Improvements to the bill are often made during this stage. At the end of this process a vote is taken on the proposed law. Under normal circumstances a simple majority is needed for the bill to pass into law. If the proposed bill concerns important areas of state law such as the constitution, a greater, qualified majority is necessary (for example two thirds of MPs). If the vote is carried the bill passes into law.

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In a parliamentary democracy, members of parliament are responsible for electing the prime minister and sometimes even the entire government. To this end, the government is dependent on a majority in parliament and MPs can hold great sway on the direction of government policy in the way they decide to vote. On top of this, members of parliament usually have the power to vote the government and/or prime minister out of office.

And it is not only the government that is elected by parliament. Parliament is often responsible for electing the members of the high court. By electing the members of other state authorities, these bodies are indirectly legitimized. That is, the people are not able to elect the supreme judge and the prime minister directly, but they do play a part in electing them indirectly over the members of parliament. In essence, the people elect the government and high-court assembly indirectly. They have to be legitimized by parliament before they are entitled to make decisions on behalf of the people.

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Classic theory on the separation of powers states that parliament (legislative) monitors and checks the way in which the government (executive) implements law. In order for this control to be effective, the legislative has a range of powers which tend to vary according to which state system is being considered. Parliament can order investigations, refer cases to the high court - the third state authority (judiciary) - or vote the government out of office.

Because governments in modern parliamentary democracies usually command a parliamentary majority, these controls do not typically take place between parliament and government, but between the government and opposition, that is, between the majority and minority in parliament.

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Parliamentarians have a responsibility to articulate the political aspirations and opinions of their voters. In an ideal situation all voters feel represented by at least one of the parties in parliament and the distance between electorate and elected is narrow.

Using public sessions in parliament, the media and targeted information about their work, members of parliament try to inform the public and encourage the process towards forming a political opinion.

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Subjects:  Human Rights  I  Democracy  I  Parties  I  Examples  I  Europe  I  Globalisation  I  United Nations  I  Sustainability

Methods:    Teaching Politics    II    Peace Education    II    Methods