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2009:8 Czech Parliament in the Second Decade of Democratic Development |
Zdenka Mansfeldová, Lukáš Linek (eds.) |
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The objective of this study is to examine the work of the Czech Parliament from 1992 to the present and the fulfilment of its representative function within that period. Given the dominant position occupied by the Chamber of Deputies, more attention is devoted to it than the Senate in this study. First the publication briefly focuses on the institutional architecture of the Czech Parliament and Parliament’s place in the country’s political system. It then looks at Parliament as the arena of the political-party contest. Gradually political parties are gradually becoming the main organisational principle in Parliament’s work, in the assertion and mediation of interests, and in the formation of decisions in the legislative process. The authors found that stabilisation of the party system occurred at the same time as party shares in Parliament were stabilising and the norms and identity of party politics were taking root. Parliament and elections played an important role in the shaping, crystallisation and stabilisation of political parties and the professionalizing of new political elites. These elites usually comprise middle-aged men with university education who have been in politics for a long time.
In a democracy Parliament fulfils a number of roles, which are usually laid out in the constitution together with other related laws and informal rules. These roles remain fixed in the long term, but their relative importance varies over time; some gain while others wane in significance as domestic and international circumstances change and specifically with accession to the European Union. Creating legislation and acting as a check on government have long been regarded as its most important roles. An analysis of the legislative process shows the growing dominance of the government in this process, although there also exists room for Senate to play a greater role (when there are different majorities in the two chambers) or for the individual – and often difficult to control – activity of MPs. The dominance of the government relates to its role in connection the country’s accession to the European Union.
Keywords
parliament – political party – legislative – representation of interests – government – political elites
Summary
The objective of the study ‘Czech Parliament in the Second Decade of Democratic Development’ is to analyse the forms and dynamics of development of political representation in the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. The study combines an institutional and a behavioural approach, describes the formation and functioning of this institution, and analyses the opinions and views of MPs on selected questions and issues. The Czech political system is a parliamentary democracy with a bicameral Parliament; the key role occupied by Parliament in part derives from its function of creating other political institutions. The majority of space in this publication is devoted to the Chamber of Deputies owing to its greater political significance, while only some basic features of the Senate are discussed.
This publication draws on a broad range of quantitative and qualitative data collected over the more than fifteen-year period that the Sociology of Politics research team at the Institute of Sociology has been studying the Czech Parliament. Sources include data drawn from questionnaire surveys conducted by the research team, documents from sessions of the Chamber of Deputies, a database of MPs, along with the basic characteristics of MPs. In the years between 1993 and 2007 a total of six questionnaire surveys were conducted as standardised personal interviews with MPs in the Czech Chamber of Deputies. These surveys cover all the electoral terms of Parliament, so it is possible to observe individual variables over time and compare the resulting data.
In the Introduction, the authors describe the start and the background of research on the Czech Parliament and the basic literature on the topic in the fields of political science and sociology. They briefly outline the basic points of the theory of political representation to mark out the conceptual framework of the study, which aims to analyse the forms and dynamics of political representation in the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.
The first chapter gives a brief description of the history of formal parliamentary structures on the territory of what is now the Czech Republic and takes a closer look at Parliament since the Czech Republic was established in 1993. It then presents an analysis of the internal organisation of Parliament (the relationship between the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate) and both its chambers, focusing on two basic organisational principles: the party system (parliamentary party groups /PPGs) and expertise (committees). The introduction of the new rules of order of the Chamber of Deputies in 1995 served as a strong stabilising factor in Parliament’s work, it standardised and rendered transparent the legislative process and the way Parliament functions, and it codified the role of political parties in the organisation of Parliament and its legislative work. Another important change to the internal functioning of Parliament was the gradual incorporation of opposition parties into committee leadership. The opposition and its participation in the legislative process are essential factors in the democratic functioning of parliamentary systems.
The second chapter is devoted to selected aspects of governance in relation to political parties and their representation in Parliament. Political parties are the main organisers of democratic governance in the Czech Republic. A crucial role in this is played by the proportional electoral system, which contributes to the development of party-based political representation while at the same time it guarantees the existence of political parties in Parliament. The key role of political parties is reinforced by the institutional rules of the legislative process and the actual way in which Parliament is organised internally and in which the parliamentary party groups/PPGs function. The electoral system and the party system both exhibited considerable stability during the period under observation. The only significant changes in the system of elections to the Chamber of Deputies related to the following two parameters: (1) the number of electoral districts was increased from eight to fourteen (thus reducing their average size) and (2) the method used to convert votes into seats has changed. The end effect of this proportional electoral system, with its relatively large electoral districts, has been the formation and stabilisation of a multi-party system. This stability was further reinforced by the basic factors that drive party choice in the Czech Republic, such as (1) the socioeconomic dimension of redistribution by the state, which is a basic cleavage, (2) the social liberalconservative dimension, and (3) the emotional relationship to the communist regime.
The stabilisation of the system of political parties in Parliament and the standardisation of the rules of parliamentary procedure also had an impact on the legislative work of the Chamber of Deputies. Chapter Three identifies two periods of extensive legislative activity. The first period involved setting up the legal system of the democratic state and preparing the basic steps in the socio-economic transformation and the second the adoption of European norms. After joining the EU, legislative activity shifted its focus, but has nonetheless remained very significant. If we were to evaluate legislative activity from a purely quantitative perspective (that is, by the number of laws discussed and passed), the Chamber of Deputies is a very effective chamber. During the period under observation the role of the Government in legislative activity increased and from the perspective of the number of laws proposed and passed its role approached standards observed in Western democracies. The Government thus to a certain degree became the main actor in legislative initiatives. The process of harmonising Czech law with EU norms after 1998 was a key factor in strengthening the Government’s role.
Chapter Four analyses the relationship between the Government and Parliament. In conformity with constitutional definitions, in the eyes of MPs one of the most important roles of Parliament, alongside its legislative work, is to act as a check on the Government. However, the results of analyses show that in practice the performance of this function has been influenced by the given balance of political powers in Parliament, and thus in MPs’ views Parliament has failed to fulfil this role. The opposition puts more emphasis on Parliament’s role as a check on the Government and is more critical of how well Parliament fulfilled that function. While in Western democratic Parliaments such a finding would be regarded as trivial, in the post-communist environment, where the existence of an effective opposition endowed with sufficient influential means only became possible in democratic Parliament, this finding is evidence of the ‘learning’ process. This process has involved the adoption and application of an entire repertoire of activities and mechanisms for checking the Government. Key among them is the expression of support for or disagreement with Government bills, formal and informal consultations, lobbying individual members of Government, and extreme action such as calling for a no-confidence vote. Other checking mechanisms that became increasingly important during the period under observation are the summoning of Parliament at the demand of MPs and the growing number of Government non-confidence votes, especially in the last two office terms. Both of these phenomena are the result of the weak position that governments occupy in Parliament, regardless of whether they have a slight majority or a minority.
Chapter Five contains an analysis of socio-demographic data on MPs since 1992 that tries to answer the question of who Czech MPs are. The socio-demographic structure of MPs differs significantly from that of the general public, primarily by sex, age, education, economic activity, and employment. The socio-demographic structure of the MPs and the supporters of individual political parties also in many cases differ. Analysis reveals that the Chamber of Deputies shows a low rate of descriptive representation. Women are under-represented in Parliament compared to their numbers in society, while people with higher education and public sector employees are significantly overrepresented. A detailed analysis also shows the effect of socio-demographic variables on the political attitudes of MPs.
The final chapter focuses on the role of MPs and their perception of that role or, in other words, how MPs interpret their mandate. In the context of the theory of representation, the chapter examines the difference between the legal definition of a mandate and how individual MPs interpret it. From the Constitution’s definition of a mandate it follows that in decision-making legislators are not bound by any commands or orders. However, an analysis of empirical data showed that MPs tend mainly to direct their behaviour according to party politics and party identification is the dominant factor in their decisions. Political parties have a fundamental influence on the work MPs do, including their committee membership, and they are a key actor in the articulation and mediation of interests. The analysis of empirical data thus identifies a gap in traditional theoretical approaches to representation that do not generally stress the role of political parties.
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2009:10 Senate Elections from 1996 to 2008 |
2009:9 The Depiction of Inequalities and Value Messages in Magazines for Children and Youth – The Case of Bravo Magazine |
2009:8 Czech Parliament in the Second Decade of Democratic Development |
2009:7 Work and Family Trajectories of Young People: A Holistic Perspective |
2009:6 The Principles of Partnership and Participation as Applied in Small Towns in the Czech Republic |
2009:5 Social Capital in the Czech Republic and in an International Comparison |
2009:4 The Gender Segregation of the Czech Labour Market. A Quantitative and Qualitative Image |
2009:3 Problem Neighbourhoods in Cities and the Regeneration Policies That Target Them – A Case Study of Prague |
2009:2 Czech Religiosity at the Start of the Third Millennium. Results of the ISSP 2008 – Religion |
2009:1 The First Elections to the Senate. An Analysis of the 1996 Elections to the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic |
2008:5 The Perception and Construction of Social Distance in Czech Society |
2008:4 Social Distances and Stratification: Social Space in the Czech Republic |
2008:3 Evolution and Determination of Educational Inequalities in the Czech Republic between 1955 and 2002 in the European Context |
2008:2 Actors of Local Development - Orlicko |
2008:1 The Political Awareness of Citizens: Theories, Measurements and the Role of Political Awareness in the Study of Political Attitudes |
2007:11 A Permanent or Temporary Change? The Arrangement of Gender Roles in Families with Fathers Participating in Childcare |
2007:10 Participation and Partnership in Local Public Administration |
2007:9 Family Friendly Working Conditions in an International Comparison |
2007:8 The Political Impact of Suburbanisation |
2007:7 Fathers, Mothers and Caring for Children after Divorce |
2007:6 The Foreign Migration of Scientists and Researchers and the Tools for Influencing Migration |
2007:5 The Representation of Different Forms of Family and Working Life in Women’s and Men’s Magazines |
2007:4 Czech Labour Market: Changing Structures and Work Orientations |
2007:3 The Relationship between Changes in the Labour Market and Private, Family and Partnership Life |
2007:2 The Institutional Background of Czech Sociology before the Onset of Marxism |
2007:1 Educational Aspirations in a Comparative Perspective. The role of individual, contextual and structural factors in the formation of educational aspirations in OECD countries |
2006:14 Work and Family Roles and How They Are Combined in the Lives of Czech Parents: Plans versus Reality |
2006:13 The Representation of Parenthood and Childlessness in Selected Women’s and Men’s Magazines |
2006:12 Social Solidarity from the Perspective of the Czech Public |
2006:11 Science as a public matter: science policies and the media |
2006:10 The Issue of Minorities in the Czech Republic: Community Life and the Representation of Collective Interests (Slovaks, Ukrainians, Vietnamese, and Roma) |
2006:9 Social Standing and Lifestyle in Czech Society |
2006:8 The Image of Science in Czech Public Opinion |
2006:7 Social Capital. Concepts, Theories, and Methods of Measurement |
2006:6 Basic Features of the Membership Base of KDU-ČSL |
2006:5 Non-Marital Fertility in the Czech Republic after 1989: The Social and Economic Context |
2006:4 The Phenomenon of Childlessness in a Sociological and Demographic Perspective |
2006:3 Participation, Democracy and Citizenship in a European Context |
2006:2 Autonomy and Cooperation: Effect of the Municipal System Established in 1990 |
2006:1 Socio-economic Values, Policies, and Institutions in the Period of the Czech Republic’s Accession to the European Union |
2005:06 Civil Society in the Regions of the Czech Republic |
2005:05 Civil Society and Civic Participation in the Czech Republic |
2005:04 Work/Life Balance in the Czech Republic: Policy, Time, Money, and Individual, Family, and Company Practices |
2005:03 Regional Elites 2004 |
2005:02 Political Behavior in Metropolitan Areas in the Czech Republic between 1990 and 2002 – Patterns, Trends and the Relation to Suburbanization and Its Socio-Spatial Patterns |
2005:01 Measuring Value Orientations with the Use of S.H. Schwartz’s Value Portraits |
2004:11 The Formation of Group Mentalities in the Czech Republic after 1989 |
2004:10 Hierarchy as the Strength and the Weakness of Communist Rule. The Legacy of Communist Rule IV: A Volume of Papers from the Seminar Held in Prague on September 11-12, 2003 |
2004:9 Czech National Identity after the Break Up Czechoslovakia and before Accession to the European Union |
2004:8 Life Strategies of Businesswomen and Businessmen at the Turn of the Millennium |
2004:7 Attitudes towards Marriage, Parenthood and Family Roles in the Czech Republic and in Europe |
2004:6 Life Satisfaction: Family,Work, and Other Factors |
2004:5 What Faith? Contemporary Czech Religiosity/Spirituality in the Perspective of Qualitative Sociology of Religion |
2004:4 Structural Tensions in the Interface between the Labour Market and Social Policy in the Czech Republic |
2004:3 Metropolitan Areas in the Czech Republic – Definitions, Basic Characteristics, Patterns of Suburbanisation and Their Impact on Political Behaviour |
2004:2 International Violence Against Women Survey – Czech Republic/2003: Sociological Research on Domestic Violence |
2004:1 Elections to the European Parliament in 2004 – An Analysis of Electoral Participation and Party Support in the Czech Republic |
2003:12 Hierarchy as a Strength and Weakness of Communist Rule |
2003:11 How the Czech Public Views the Elites the Political and Economic Elites |
2003:10 The Reconstruction of Communist Rule at the End of the 1980s |
2003:9 Women’s Civic and Political Participation in the Czech Republic and the Role of European Union Gender Equality and Accession Policies |
2003:8 Pre-election polls, election results, and validity of measurement before the 2002 elections |
2003:7 Party Preference Surveys, Their Application in Society and the Issue of Quality |
2003:6 The Transformations of Czech Socio-economic Values at the Turn of the Century |
2003:5 Objective and Subjective Assessments of the Financial Accessibility of Housing in the Czech Republic during the 1990s |
2003:4 Entry into Marriage and Unmarried Cohabitation in the Czech Republic since 1989 in Connection with Education |
2003:3 Work and Job Values in CEE and EU countries |
2003:2 Intergenerational Biographic Configurations of the Inhabitants of the NISA Euroregion |
2003:1 Structurally Generated Growth of Inequality |
2002:13 Public Opinion Surveys – Theoretical Aspects and Practical Application |
2002:12 Group Mentalities |
2002:11 The World of Hierarchies and Real Socialism. The legacy of communist rule II: volume of contributions investigating of social hierarchies |
2002:10 Social Context of the Lives of Women Working in Management Positions |
2002:09 Parties in the Parliament. Why, When and How do Parties act in Unity? |
2002:08 Life strategies of women managers: case study |
2002:07 Region and Politics |
2002:06 The World of Hierarchies and Really Existing Socialism |
2002:05 Housing Careers in the Czech Republic 1960 - 2001 |
2002:04 Re-emigrants and Socially Shared Values |
2002:03 Satisfaction with Housing among the Czech Population |
2002:02 The Family Origin on the Evolution of Educational Inequalities in the Czech Republic after 1989 |
2002:01 The Rise and Evolution of the New Elites in the Czech Republic (from the end of the 1980´s to the spring of 2002) |
2001:12 Who´s afraid of Hierarchies? The Legacy of the Communist Government |
2001:11 11th September. International On-line Communication Research |
2001:10 Fertility and Family Differentiation in Europe |
2001:09 The rise or decline of political regionalism? Changes of voting patterns in period 1992 to 1998 - the comparison of the Czech Republic and Slovakia |
2001:08 Cross-cutting Cleavages in the Czech Republic. A Comparison of the National Level with a Specific Regional Example |
2001:07 Roma Issues: An Obstacle to Entry of the Czech Republic into the European Union? |
2001:06 ISSP- The Environment |
2001:05 Distribution of Earnings and Income in Transitional Czech Republic |
2001:04 The Bearers of Development of the Cross-Border Community on Czech-German Border |
2001:03 Rent Subsidies in the Czech Republic: A Comparison of Selected Models |
2001:02 The Role Of Political, Social and Cultural Capital in Secondary School Selection in Socialist Czechoslovakia, 1948-1989 |
2001:01 Income maintenance policies, houshold characteristics and work incentives in the Czech republic |
2000:07 Work and Family Experience of Young Female Doctors |
2000:06 Development of the Czech Social Structure in the Years 1988-1999 |
2000:05 Party identifikation in the Czech republic |
2000:04 What makes inequalities legitimate? An International Comparison |
2000:03 Religion and Supernature in Society |
2000:02 Transformation and Modernization of Society on Examples of Selected Institutions |
2000:01 The Housing Policy Changes and Housing Expenditures in the Czech Republic |
1999:11 Geografic Analysis of the Czech Republic Borderland. |
1999:10 Rise and Decline of Right-Wing Extremism in the Czech Republic in the 1990s. |
1999:09 Perceived and fair inequalities: development in the nineties and further coherences |
1999:08 The Czechoslovak citizens' attitudes towards democracy in 1968 |
1999:07 The Czech Middletown Citizens |
1999:06 A Man in a Family – Democratisation of Private Sphere |
1999:05 Development of the Policy of Equal Opportunities of Men and Women in the Czech Republic within the European Integration Context |
1999:04 Actors of Over-frontier Community Development in the Czech - German Borderland |
1999:03 Acquaintances of Local Political Leaders |
1999:02 Housing Market, its Regional Differences and Relations to Social Structure |
1999:01 The Fluctuation of Public Opinion between Years 1990 and 1998 |
1998:06 Modernizační kontext transformace, strukturní a institucionální aspekty |
1998:05 Deputies of the First Czech Parliament (1992-1996) |
1998:04 |
1998:03 Transformation of Czech Family |
1998:02 Results of a Czech-Slovak Comparison: Actors of Social Transformation and Modernisation. Attitudes of Individuals an Institutions to Social Transformation |
1998:01 Trh s bydlením a jeho sociální souvislosti - situace v Praze a Brně |
1997:08 The Family and Change of Gender Roles |
1997:07 The territorial dimension of public administration reforms in East Central Europe |
1997:06 Czech Women in the Labor Market Work and Family in a Transition Economy |
1997:05 |
1997:04 Mass Privatization, Distributive Politics, and Popular Support for Reform in the Czech Republic |
1997:03 |
1997:02 |
1997:01 Political, Organizational and Policy Transformation at the Municipal Level: The Case of Liberec |
1996:12 Osidlování českého pohraničí od května 1945 |
1996:11 Individuální kontakty obyvatel na česko-německé hranici |
1996:10 Socio-Economic Changes in the Czech Republic with an Appendix concerning the 1996 Elections´ Results |
1996:09 Národní identita |
1996:08 Politics, Skills and Industrial Restructuring. Introductory Findings on Local Institutions of Human Resources Development in Czech Machinery Indrustry |
1996:07 Subjective Mobility and Perception of Life Chances in Eastern Europe. Empirical evidence against a Marxist view of relationships between subjective and objective mobility |
1996:06 Zpráva o vývoji sociální struktury české a slovenské společnosti 1945-1993 |
1996:05 Tripartita jako model prostředkování zájmů v politickém systému České republiky |
1996:04 Národnostní a etnické vztahy v českém pohraničí - obraz Čecha, Němce, Rakušana a Roma ve vědomí obyvatel |
1996:03 The Making of Post-Communist Elites in Eastern Europe. A comparison of political and economic elites in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland |
1996:02 Sudetoněmecká otázka v názorech a postojích obyvatel českého pohraničí |
1996:01 Demografické chování obyvatelstva České republiky během přeměny společnosti po roce 1989 |
1995:08 Česká republika v roce 1994. Politická ročenka |
1995:07 Problém normativity a policejní represe v předlistopadovém Československu |
1995:06 Industriální vztahy a sociálně politické orientace českých dělníků a manažerů |
1995:05 Rozdíly v chování regionálních populací a jejich příčiny |
1995:04 Women, Work and Society |
1995:03 Trh práce a jeho potenciál |
1995:02 Etnické a národnostní vztahy v pánevní oblasti severních Čech (s důrazem na romskou problematiku) |
1995:01 In Search of Explanations for Recent Left-Turns in Post-Communist Coutries |
1994:09 Česká republika v roce 1993. Politická ročenka |
1994:08 Large-Scale Privatization: Social Conflict and Consensus |
1994:07 Economic Inequalities Old and New: The Czech Case |
1994:06 Prostředky kauzálního modelování v sociologii. Shrnující pojednání o postupech a přehled základních pojmů |
1994:05 Regionální diferenciace sociálních problémů v České republice |
1994:04 A Historical Comparison of Social Structures in the Czech Republic in 1984 and 1993 |
1994:03 Přeshraniční souvislosti sociálních změn v oblasti české části euroregionu Chebsko |
1994:02 Social and Political Transformation in the Czech Republic |
1994:01 Lotus Organizátor. Uživatelská příručka |
1993:09 Sociální a mzdové problémy zaměstnanců malých a středních soukromých podniků |
1993:08 Sociální postavení rodiny jako základního činitele a adresáta sociální pomoci |
1993:07 Changing Conditions - Changing Values? Changes in the position and perception of education during the post-communist transformation: the case of the Czech Republic |
1993:06 Perceptions of Justice. Principles of Distributive Justice in Comparative Perspective |
1993:04 Revolution for Whom? Analysis of selected patterns of intragenerational mobility in the Czech Republic |
1993:04 Revolution for Whom? Analysis of selected patterns of intragenerational mobility in the Czech Republic |
1993:03 RODINA ´89. Determinanty ekonomického úspěchu v první fázi postkomunistické transformace. Česká republika 1989-1992 |
1993:02 RODINA '89. Determinanty ekonomického úspěchu v první fázi post-komunistické transformace. Česká republika 1989-1992 |
1993:01 Microsoft Word verze 5.5. Uživatelská příručka |
1992:09 Historical Comparison of Social Stratification Types in Czechoslovakia 1967-1991 |
1992:08 Rodina '89. Úloha mentálních schopností a sociálního původu ve formování vzdělanostních aspirací |
1992:07 The Zero Generation of Small Business Owners in Czechoslovakia |
1992:06 Time Use of Small Business Owners. Results and Methodological Comments |
1992:05 Perception of Changing Inequality in Czechoslovakia |
1992:04 Vybrané kapitoly z uživatelské příručky Microsoft Word verze 5.0 |
1992:03 Politické strany a hnutí v Československu |
1992:02 Politische Partien und Bewegungen in der Tschechoslowakei |
Prague in the New Central Europe. International conference 2-4 June 1990 |
1991:09 Vybrané kapitoly z uživatelské příručky Microsoft Word verze 5.0 |
1991:08 Nultá podnikatelská generace |
1991:07 Rodina '89. Zdroje vzdělanostních nerovností |
1991:06 Hodnotové orientace československé mužské mládeže a jejich vztah k obraně vlasti |
1991:05 Gender and the Employment of Higher Education Graduates in Czechoslovakia |
1991:04 Územní vztahy, územní a státoprávní uspořádání České republiky v názorech obyvatel |
1991:03 Social Problems of Participation in the Changing Czechoslovak Economy |
1991:02 K postavení žen v československé společnosti |
1991:01 Socialist Czechoslovakia - System Error and Premises for Change |
1990:06 Názory na rozvoj soukromého podnikání |
1990:05 Growing interest in informal work - consequences for time use research. XIIth World Congress of Sociology, Madrid 1990, Thematic Group 1, Time Use Research |
1990:04 Value-satisfaction Model and the Value of Innovation |
1990:03 Who Gains and Who Loses in a Socialist Redistribution |
1990:02 Ženy a volby '90 |
1990:01 Beyond Educational Inequality in Czechoslovakia |
1989:02 Československá varianta Mezinárodní standardní klasifikace zaměstnání (ISCO) |
1989:01 Family Effect on Educational Attainment in Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the Netherlands |
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