PSCI 2210 : COMPARATIVE POLITICS Bachelor of Political Science, KIRKHS, IIUM

1. SEM 1, 2015/2016
PSCI 2210 COMPARATIVE POLITICS

2.  1) Size- Big size of assembly does not
indicate strength as they cannot act
cohesively. Small assembly – offers
opportunities for all members to have their
say in a collegial environment.
 2) Number of chambers – Unicameral and
bicameral. Unicameral are found in post-
communist and small states. However
bicameral are often found in large countries.

3.  Weak bicameralism – when lower chamber
dominates upper house[parliamentary
government as its survival depends on
maintaining assembly’s support and one
chamber becomes the focus of
accountability].
 Strong bicameralism – when few federations
when two chambers are more balanced eg.
American Congress.

4.  3. Committees – small workgroup of
members created to cope with parliamentary
business, particularly in lower and upper
house.
 Popular in American congress –
Congressional committees with 3k policy
specialist. Each committee has its won sub-
committee eg) 86 subcommittees in Senate
and 88 in the House.

5.  1) Standing Permanent Committee- Considers bills in
details. Scandanavian countries – committee
parliamentarianism- SC negotiate the policies and bills
before parliament votes. Sweeden- Committees modify
one in three government proposals, or sometimes put
their own proposals.
 Great Britain- Committee rarely challenge the
government’s bills (party-dominated legislature).
 2) Select Committee – Scrutinizes the executives, often
with one committee for each main government
department.
 3) Conference or mediation committee- Reconcile
differences in versions of bill passed by each chamber.

6.  1. Representation
 2. Deliberation
 3. Legislation
 4. Authorizing expenditure
 5. Making governments

7.  Make laws yet in reality, it is not the function.
Why ? Great Britain – 97% of bills that were
proposed by the executives between 1945-187
became laws.
 Legislators’ function – to patch up errors made
by the executives.
 Active role in d/making – Switzerland . For
example, bills originates from members either in
federal assembly or any canton.
 USA- assembly gets autonomy due to separation
of powers . This is because party that does not
occupy White House may still possess the
majority in either both Houses in the Congress

8.  House of Representative can introduce Bill
although bills lie in the hands of executive.
 However, it is easy to defeat a bill than to
pass on in Congress.

9.  Legislature approve tax policies, government
spending on specific program and pass
budgets. In reality, in some circumstances,
executives prepare budget, report to the
parliament and legislature ratifies the
proposal( without being modified).
 Only a few countries allow assembly to
amend budget i.e. USA. But in parliamentary
democracy, the budget is rarely been
modified eg. Australia and Malaysia

10.  USA : Money for foreign aid cannot be
distributed without the consent from the
Congress.

11.  Oversee and investigate the activities of the
executive branch.
 Techniques:
 1) Questions : Direct questions from the
legislators. British House of Common- 70k
questions per year. France – Often the
minister fails to answer questions from
legislators.

12.  2. Emergency Debate : Parliament can call the
government for an emergency debate. Emergency
debate often ends with the government as the
winner.
 Example : In Great Britain, September, 2015, in
response to Syrian war, the Opposition MP called
the government to discuss about the
governments’ plan to resettle Syrian refugees in
Britain. For instance, when the government
stressed that it would only accept 4k refugees
yearly, the oppositions called for 10 k refugees.

13.  3.Votes of confidence : Those opposed to the
government sponsors the motion and if it
passes, the government is expected to resign.
A new parliamentary election is held.
 However, the practice is rare because MPs
may lose seats and job if their party loses in
new elections.


14.  Sweden: Vote of confidence can be directed
against the individual ministers as well as the
government as a whole.
 3. Committee investigation : Constitution gives
Congress the responsibility for important matters
such as commerce, currency and taxes.
 In USA, executives must maintain good relations
with the Congress to ensure the next year’s
budget will be passed easily.

15.  Example :
 1) First Congressional Committee in USA was in
1792 – A special committee was selected among
the legislators to investigate the disastrous
expedition against Shawnee and Miami Indians
that cost 657 lives of the American troops.
 2) A special committee on Benghazi was selected
in 2014 to investigate the death of 4 Americans
in Benghazi , Libya in 2012. One of the victims
was American ambassador. The committee
members were 7 Republicans and 5 Democrats.
No report was produced and many thought that

16. 1) Professional politicians
2) Celebrities turned politicians
3) Political families
Professional politicians : Political entrepreneur and
career based politicians. Career politicians –
flourish when the re-election prospect is good.
Countries that practices plurality electoral
system – positive when in USA when only 7 of
404 incumbent candidates in House of
Representatives were defeated. What explains
this factor?

17.  Existing members can exploit resources such
as their own experience in the House, public
recognition to attract voters. Further, their
experience give them the ability to cultivate
their constituency as their own.
 2) Celebrities turned politicians : Technology
helps the rise of the politicians. Hence we
see, career politicians are beginning to use
media to compete with celebrity space –
‘politicians as celebrities’.

18.  3) Political families : Gandhis in India,
Anwar’s in Malaysia. In Japan, more than a
third of Member in its parliament are second-
generation lawmakers.
 What motivate the rise of political families ?
Socialization process where politics is not
viewed as interest but as an occupation.