Constraining Executive Action: The Role of Legislator Professionalization in Latin America

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Shair-Rosenfield, Sarah; Stoyan, Alissandra T.
• 署名单位: Arizona State University; Arizona State University-Tempe; Kansas State University
• 刊物名称: GOVERNANCE-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF POLICY ADMINISTRATION AND INSTITUTIONS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0952-1895
• DOI: 10.1111/gove.12210
• 发表日期: 2017
• 关键词: decree authority; agenda; presidents; POWER; POLITICS; success; BRAZIL; POLICY

摘要

What explains the failure of legislatures with strong constitutionally endowed powers to exert themselves over the executive in practice? We examine the role of legislator professionalization in strengthening the legislature's ability to constrain executive action, conceptualizing legislator professionalization as prior legislative experience and prior professional work experience. We argue that more professionalized legislators, through the skill and knowledge they bring to the policymaking process from prior experience, will be better equipped to challenge executive authority. In a sample of four Latin American countries from 1990 through 2010, we find that legislatures are more likely to curb executive decree issuance when individual legislators are strongly professionalized, controlling for constitutional powers and several other partisan and political factors. Our findings suggest that legislatures composed of more professionalized legislators can constrain executive action, especially in the context of a unified political opposition in the legislature.