Abstract
In this paper I examine a question neglected in the legislative literature - how a legislature's influence over policy outputs affects the behavior of its membership. Specifically, I investigate whether greater policy influence leads legislators to participate more in parliamentary votes, using an unusual 'natural experiment' in the European Parliament (EP). In addition to the impact of other variables - including the timing of votes, leadership cues, and the requirement that an absolute majority of members vote at certain stages - EP members are stimulated to participate more in votes on legislation where the EP's influence is greater. The implications of this result for legislative theory, and for our understanding of the EP, are discussed in the conclusion.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 233-252 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Legislative Studies Quarterly |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 02 May 1997 |