Responsiveness and Democratic Quality: Legislative Behaviour and Executive–Legislative Dynamics in Portugal

This paper analyses how legislative behaviour shapes democratic responsiveness in Portugal across distinct political and economic cycles. Drawing on research on executive–legislative relations in parliamentary systems, it examines how Members of Parliament (MPs) adjust their bill‑sponsorship patterns, committee activity, and reactions to executive proposals from 2000 to 2025. Using indicators from V‑Dem, a national legislative database, and automated text‑analysis of legislative initiatives, the study traces shifts in policy attention and alignment with public expectations in pre‑crisis, crisis, and post‑crisis periods. Findings show that MPs’ legislative activism contracts under strong executive dominance during crises, whereas post‑crisis periods reveal greater policy entrepreneurship. These behavioural changes affect representativeness and responsiveness and, consequently, democratic quality. The paper contributes new empirical evidence on how parliamentary actors mediate between the executive and society through evolving legislative strategies.