On the concepts of parliament, parliamentarianism and parliamentary democracy
Abstract
This contribution proposes to map the concepts of parliament and parliamentarianism by providing definitions of the words associated with them, by shaping a model for a given organisation’s parliamentary nature and by developing analytical aspects of the concept of parliamentarianism. Specifically, it argues that: 1. modern legislatures are characterised by the conjunction of fourteen distinct organisational features; 2. parliamentarianism is marked by a willingness to monopolise a remarkable diversity of political tasks through the original conjunction of in situ performances and legal instruments; 3. parliamentary assemblies possess an intrinsically democratic quality. Despite democrats’ numerous disillusionments relating to legislatures, the contribution supports the view that, be it from a liberal, participatory or deliberative perspective, legislatures are an essential component in assessing the democratic nature of a given political regime.