Legislatures in presidential systems: The Latin American experience

American Exceptionalism Revisited

“…Regardless of their background, however, the ensuing authoritarian regimes have usually put an emphasis on executive power, while the legislative assemblies have been closed down or kept alive only as shadow institutions. These circumstances have certainly not been conducive to the development of parliamentary capabilities that provide the necessary check on executive discretion (Huneeus et al 2006). Then, after the wave of democratic restoration in Latin America during the 1980s and 1990s, many of the established institutional imbalances were maintained.…”

“…This development has been detrimental to the effective exercise of legislative budget review and oversight. Temporary parties and parties without coherence lack the experience and discipline necessary to act effectively in parliamentary bodies (Santiso 2004;Messick 2002;Huneeus et al 2006;Posner and Park 2007;Saiegh 2010).…”

Congressional Committees, Electoral Connections, and Legislative Speech

“…Second, the Chilean Congress stands out compared to other legislative bodies in Latin America for its institutional capabilities, which is why it is typically classified as among the most effective and influential in the region (Palanza et al 2016;Saiegh 2010). Third, the Chilean Congress has a largely professionalized membership, manifested in its members' tenure and reelection rates (Huneeus et al 2006;Palanza et al 2016). Chilean legislators are also among the best paid in Latin America.…”

“…Comparative analyses of the role of committees in Latin America have consistently stressed the capabilities and technical expertise of committees in the Chilean Congress (Palanza et al 2016;Saiegh 2010) and the relative stability of assignments (Huneeus et al 2006). Surveys of legislators have shown that around 85% of respondents report that committee work is decisive, while 80% report that committee assignments provide some or a lot of influence over the work performed (Alcántara 2019).…”

“…Surveys of legislators have shown that around 85% of respondents report that committee work is decisive, while 80% report that committee assignments provide some or a lot of influence over the work performed (Alcántara 2019). Furthermore, committee work is considered by 76% of members to be "the most attractive" aspect of their work (Huneeus et al 2006).…”