Rules and Speeches: How Parliamentary Rules Affect Legislators' Speech‐Making Behavior. Issue 3 (11th May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Giannetti, Daniela; Pedrazzani, Andrea
• Is Part Of: Legislative studies quarterly. Volume 41:Issue 3(2016:Aug.)
• Page Start: 771
• Page End: 800
• Publication Date: 2016-05-11
• Subjects: Legislative bodies -- Periodicals; Parlement; Procédure législative; Système parlementaire; Étude comparée (Descripteur de forme); Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 328
• DOI: 10.1111/lsq.12130
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0362-9805

Abstract

Abstract : By extending existing theories of legislative speech making, this study explores the importance of parliamentary rules governing floor debates for government and opposition parties. An original data set including speeches of members of the Italian Chamber of Deputies between 2001 and 2006 is used to test two hypotheses under different institutional scenarios, that is, rules either restricting or granting open access to the floor. Parliamentary rules are found to affect allocation of speaking time within both governing and opposition parties. Governing parties' leaders exploit their agenda control to a higher degree when allocating speaking time. Under restrictive rules, government party leaders control their MPs by essentially limiting the number of speeches and allocating them to frontbenchers. Restrictive rules give opposition party leaders an important chance to select MPs who are closer to their own position.