Through the use of an original data set bill initiation activity in six presidential democracies, we advance scholarly understanding how institutional incentives faced by legislative candidates influence representation. We extend and adapt theory, derived primarily from experience U.S. Congress, demonstrating its viability, once assumed constants case are explicitly modeled, quite distinct contexts. In particular, find focus individual legislators on national versus parochial concerns...

This bold and comprehensive reassessment of democracy in Venezuela explains why one the oldest most admired democracies Latin America became fragile after more than three decades apparent stability.

The vast majority of what we know about building prospective electoral constituencies is confined to single-member district systems. However, most legislators are elected in multimember districts. Given that multiple incumbents represent the same voters, how do decide whom they should target as constituents? We build a general model this decision and test it with travel data for 100 single, nationwide district. find protect their existing supporters avoid bailiwicks dominated by others....

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List of tables figures abbreviations 1. Studying democratic institutions in Venezuela 2. The electoral system's impact on the role congress policy-making process 3. President's legislative role: initiation legislation and presidential decree authority 4. Influencing executive branch during policy formation: consultative commissions 5. Participating execution policy: decentralized public administration 6. Institutionalized dominance its dynamics: relative participation business labor 7....

Representation can vary depending on whether legislators view constitu? ents as best represented by aggregated, programmatic universal policies or parochial, particularistic policies. In 1991 Colombia adopted a major institutional reform intended to change the electoral connection between voters and senators, encouraging members of upper chamber adopt more national, vision. We explain variations in geographic patterns support post-reform era show how spatial pattern votes for senator influences his

The 1980s were painful years of structural adjustment during which many developing countries abandoned statist economic models in favor market-oriented paradigms. proponents adjustment, including international lending agencies such as the IMF and World Bank, argued that reforms necessary to restore growth curtail inflation. opponents claimed its macroeconomic results not a foregone conclusion and, regardless them, changes would drastically affect already precarious position poor. We use data...

Mixed-member systems have been characterized as encouraging politicians to balance the activities that enhance their personal reputations and those of parties. Another literature challenges legislators from one tier are not likely behave differently other. After summarizing this debate, data Venezuela used look for evidence supporting either side in a series behaviors span entire legislative process—from bill initiation committee consideration final vote. The author concludes “best both...

This article examines whether the career needs of legislators – to be re-elected or move on another political post allow us explain rules governing committee structures and assignments individual obtain. It uses institutional variations provided by Argentina, Costa Rica, Venezuela test hypotheses about assignment mechanisms. finds that incentives created candidate selection procedures electoral show some relationship assignments, but with a good deal variation across national cases careers.

Roll-call votes provide scholars with the opportunity to measure many quantities of interest. However, usefulness roll-call sample depends on population it is intended represent. After laying out why understanding properties record important, we catalogue voting procedures for 145 legislative chambers, finding that roll calls are typically discretionary. We then consider two arguments discounting potential problem: (a) ubiquitous, especially where threshold invoking them low or (b) strategic...

Elections provide a mandate to pursue set of policies. Party label provides concise ideological cue for voters choose among candidates, and research on industrial democracies verifies link between the parties elect subsequent policy outcomes. The combination inchoate party systems economic vulnerability elsewhere may weaken voter choice policy. When examining policies in Latin America, there is some controversy as whether governments carried out “reform by surprise”—promising one thing...

A legislator's behavior in his or her electoral district, home style, reveals much about awareness of constituents' wishes and the importance attributed to district matters. Legislators who frequently travel represent their constituents differently than those do not. In Latin American country Colombia, style is a contentious issue. The plagued by violence corruption, but national legislature devotes its time pork barrel politics. We use data from presidential democracy, test competing...

How do legislators build the reputations they use in bids for reelection? Do their personal or associate with other legislators? And how parties, coalitions, and institutions affect these decisions? Research on electoral systems parties legislatures frequently focuses extent to which rules make more less ideologically convergent respect members of chamber—copartisan not. However, finding equilibrium strategies is often possible only under restrictive institutional spatial assumptions....

Electoral rules impact the need for and ability of voters to coordinate around a candidate or candidates. In this paper, we examine two commonly used majoritarian electoral systems—the multiple nontransferable votes (MNTV) single-member districts decided by plurality (SMDP). We look at strategic entry elites voting citizens. Coordination failures either stage could keep teams candidates out office who might have otherwise been chosen govern prevent from putting in would best represent them....

We offer a general model of policy making across presidential systems, exploring how checks and balances interact with legislative party systems to determine the responsiveness political electoral change. Using two dominant theories in United States as starting point, we formally process regimes characterized by wide array institutional designs, simulate expected behavior, then test our models empirically data capturing economic choices. The Author 2009. Published Oxford University Press on...