Advancing the Study of Parliaments: Structures, Actors and Processes at a Crossroads

Against a backdrop of changing political contexts – such as the rise of challenger parties, policy and economic crises, distrust in political institutions, and democratic backsliding in some countries – it is clear that parliaments are facing increasing and cross-cutting pressures. This section seeks to advance the study of parliaments as critical institutions in representative democracies, and to examine how the role and importance of parliaments continues to evolve. It focuses on the structures and organisational aspects of parliaments, as well as key actors and their relationships within and outside these institutions (e.g., individual parliamentarians, parliamentary party groups, administrative staff or external stakeholders such as interest groups), and the processes and practices inside these political arenas. To support these multiple foci, this section has developed several comprehensive and comparative panels exploring both recent challenges that have impacted parliaments, as well as more classic topics that are ever-relevant. We welcome papers about any parliament, whether national, sub-national or international, with a particular invitation for studies on under-researched regions. Contributions may be empirical, theoretical or methodological. The ECPR Standing Group on Parliaments endorses this section.