Assemb Flies Research Paper

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Assemblies which are also known as parliaments or legislatures provide a key role in government. They act as national debating chambers and public forums in which government polices and major issues can be discussed and analysed. In most cases they are invested with formal law-making power giving them some capacity to shape and influence public policy. However, assemblies have been criticised by Heywood (2002, p. 311) as being no more than “talking shops” that do little more than rubber stamp decisions that have effectively been made elsewhere. This essay will firstly discuss how parliamentary and presidential systems differ, the different types of legislature and their main functions. It will then discuss the extent to which assemblies…show more content…
They may consist of either one chamber called unicameral or two chambers which are known as bicameral. A bicameral assembly has many advantages; the second chamber can check the power of the first chamber and both chambers can effectively check the power of the executive to expose any failings of the government. Second chambers also act as a constitutional safeguard, delaying the passage of controversial legislation and allowing discussion and debate (Heywood, 2004, p.321). The second chamber can ensure that legislation is more thoroughly scrutinized, by relieving the burden of the first chamber and can rectify any mistakes and oversights. However, there also some drawbacks to the bicameral system because it can make the legislative process unnecessarily complex and difficult. Second chambers often act as a check on democratic rule, particularly when their members are non-elected or indirectly elected according to Heywood (2004, p.…show more content…
It has discussed the different types and styles of assemblies and the chief functions such as to enact legislation, act as a representative body and oversee and scrutinise the executive. It has shown how the role of parliaments is changing and the reality is that legislatures do not initiate many policies, more usually they influence or are executive-dominated. The emergence of disciplined political parties, the growth in the role of government and the increasing strength of interest groups and the mass media has changed the way parliaments and assemblies carry out their roles. However, parliaments possess a unique authority to force politicians and civil servants to account for their actions before a body which still represents the nation and remains an essential element in the architecture of democracy. Bibliography Axford, B., Browning, G.K., Huggings, R., Rosamond, B., (2002), Politics an introduction, 2nd ed. London: Routledge. Bealey, F., Chapman, R.A., Sheehan, M., (1999), Elements in Political Science, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University
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