Parliamentarism and Democratic Theory ― Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

This collection deals with the place of parliamentary politics in democracy. Parliamentarism is a missing research object in democratic theory and a devalued institutional reference in democratic politics. Yet, the parliamentary culture of politics historically explains the rise and fall of modern democracies. Divided into two sections, the book's contents include: "Part I - The Uses of Parliamentarism" - Parliamentary Emergency Powers: A Political Chimera? * Questions in the House: Parliamentary Politics and the Rhetoric of 'Question-Time' * Cambridge and Oxford Union Societies as Parliamentary Bodies * 'Advanced Liberalism' and the Politics of Reform in Victorian Parliamentary Culture * The Mandate in the Parliament * Varieties of Anti-Parliamentarism in Europe * Revising the Aggregative Role of Parliaments in a Fragmented World *** "Part II: Debating Democratic Theory and Performance" - The Rhetorical Use of 'Parliamentarism' and the Interwar Crisis of Democracy * Democracy and Compromise: Why Consensus Is Not Democratic? * The Legitimacy Politics of the Theory of Aleatory Democracy * The Paradox of Democratic Selection: Is Lottery Better than Voting? * Can Deliberative Mini-Publics Help to Improve the Standards of Representative Democracy?

Kari Palonen is professor of political science at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, and editor of Redescriptions and cofounder of the History of Political and Social Concepts Group.

Jose Maria Rosales is associate professor of moral and political philosophy at the University of Malaga, Spain, and board member of Concepta, International Research School in Conceptual History and Political Thought.