Overview

Rationalizing Parliament examines how institutional arrangements in the French Constitution shape the bargaining strategies of political parties. The book investigates the decision by French cities to include in the Constitution legislative procedures aimed to 'rationalize' the policy-making role of parliament and analyses the impact of these procedures on policy outcomes, cabinet stability and political accountability. Drawing on diverse methodological approaches, including formal models, multivariate statistics, historical analysis and qualitative case studies, Professor Huber contributes to general theoretical debates about the endogenous choice of institutions, and about the exogenous impact of institutional arrangements on political decision-making. Through its use of theories developed in the American politics literature, the study reveals important similarities between legislative politics in the United States and in parliamentary systems and shortcomings in conventional interpretations of French institutional arrangements.

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9780511896446

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Review of the hardback: 'The argument is clear and well presented ... and well referenced. This short work is a good text for courses on political institutions and comparative politics, as well as French politics.' John Gaffney, Political Studies Huber's analysis of confidence votes in parliamentary democracies is important and original....his award-winning book will greatly influence future scholarship on European legislative institutions. Kaare Strom, Legislative Studies Quarterly Students (at least in the upper levels) and specialists will profit from its lucid style and original thesis. Robert Ladrech, Perspectives on Political Science Clearly and accessibly written for specialists in legislative behavior. W.R. Smith, Choice ...admirable testimony to the power of neo-institutional rational choice models to clarify central procedures in parliamentary systems. John Huber's Rationalizing Parliament is an intriguing study of the effects of institutional change on democratic governance. Kaare Strom, Legislative Studies Quarterly

Review of the hardback: 'The argument is clear and well presented ... and well referenced. This short work is a good text for courses on political institutions and comparative politics, as well as French politics.' John Gaffney, Political Studies

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