The Future of Second Chambers

Abstract

While in the late twentieth century literature seemed to suggest a decline of second chambers, an “upsurge in the popularity of bicameralism” can be observed in recent years (Coakley, 2014: 562). Overall, scholars agree that bicameralism matters and that the existence of a second chamber has an impact on various aspects such as legislative productivity (Rogers, 2003), budget spending (Heller, 1997), government stability (Druckmann & Thies, 2002), party strategies (VanDusky-Allen & Heller, 2014) or the strengthening of liberal market forces (Vatter, 2005; but see Cutrone & Mc Cartey, 2006). This ‘revival’ finds also expression in a growing scholarly attention on the understudied phenomena of bicameralism, however the main challenges identified regarding the research on second chambers remain valid: the observation that second chambers are mainly studied in relation with the first chambers and that little research has been conducted on their own (internal) dynamics and the quasi-absence of comparative studies (Schnatterer 2015). Reforms of bicameral systems are repeatedly discussed. What lessons can be drawn from ongoing reform discussions in a comparative perspective? Especially an international comparison can inform reform processes which are to date mainly conducted nationally. This panel aims to address these challenges. We gather contributions on bicameralism from a variety of viewpoints which address the topic theoretically as well as empirically, in a single-case study or comparatively, looking at the input-side as well as the output-side of bicameral systems. Among others we are interested in the following questions: • Which topics are addressed by second chambers and why? • Which influence do second chambers have on political output and how can we explain differences? • Where can we locate second chambers vis-à-vis the other political institutions and which effect do these relations have on the political process? • How do second chambers arrive at the positions they take to the conference committee table or by which they choose to veto legislative proposals rather than amend them? • What motivates the reform of bicameral systems? What was behind recent introductions and abolitions of second chambers?

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