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This module explores the role and functions of legislatures and the parties that dominate them in the modernÌýstate. Taking a comparative approach, illustrated with numerous case studies of different countries, it asksÌýwhich factors matter to the role of parliaments/legislatures today.

Does it, for example, matter that just 26% of the world's legislators are women? Why do some parliaments have two chambers rather than one? How do parties choose the people who make up the majority of parliamentarians? What influence does party discipline have on the functioning of modern parliaments, and does the dominance of parties in the legislative process exclude citizens? What factors influence parliaments' strength with respect to their core functions of scrutiny, law making and representation, and how much of a policy difference do they make? By taking a joint focus on parliaments and political parties the course gives an insight into some of the most important functions of both, and of how public policy is made.

Learning objectives:

By the end of the course you should:

• be familiar with the range of roles that legislatures play within political systems;
• be able to critically compare different models of legislative design and the effectiveness of legislatures in various modern states;
• have a sound grasp of the roles of elected representatives;
• be able to critically assess the different elements of the party/parliament relationship and how they are likely to impact on policy;
• be able to explain the features of their own legislature within a comparative framework of examples from similar and different systems;
• be able to apply real-world evidence to assess academic debates concerning legislatures.

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