Jedna czy dwie izby? Tradycja ustrojowa jako główny determinant bikameralizmu we współczesnych parlamentach państw Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej
One or two chambers? Political tradition as the main determinant of bicameralism in contemporary parliaments of Central and Eastern European states

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article is to present the the political tradition as the main determinant of the bicameral structure of the parliament in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe by comparing the historical organization of the legislature with the current regulations. The basic hypothesis is that decisions regarding the structure of the legislature, made in each of the countries, were determined primarily by the local tradition of parliamentarism and the desire to refer to it. The article uses the comparative method and an institutional analysis of the political system. In the case of each of the countries discussed, the circumstances and method of implementing the political reform after the fall of the communist regime were presented, including the issue of the establishment of the second chamber, then the parliament in the historical forms of statehood were compared, in order to sum up the consequences of the decisions made and verify their effects within the functioning system. In the majority of the countries analyzed, the contemporary structure of the parliament corresponds to the historical patterns. Reference to the political tradition was a more important factor in than a rational assessment of needs or deep reflection on the political system.

• Details
• Contents