In 2009, the Australian, Brazilian and UK parliaments faced strong criticism - to say the least - over the issue of parliamentarians' expenses. The uncovering of widespread misuses of public resources by parliamentarians in each of these three countries was the subject of intense media and...

Now that the UK has left the EU, the Government is negotiating trade agreements for the first time in almost 50 years. What role should Parliament play in scrutinising trade deals? This paper compares current processes of parliamentary scrutiny in the UK, United States, European Union,...

This paper discusses institutional reforms that might strengthen the role of the European Parliament in the policymaking process of the European Union. Using simple game theory, the paper analyzes the working properties of the different implementation procedures that are known as 'comitology'....

This paper challenges the assertion that European politics would be closer to the citizens´ preferences if decision power were transferred from the Council of Ministers to the European Parliament. On the one hand, citizens benefit from a greater transparency in the Parliament´s debates...

The EU's revenue system is still typical for an organisation based on international cooperation and stands in contrast to the Union's far advanced legislative and political role. This contrast feeds the debate on granting the EU an autonomous tax source. Our contribution explores the factors...

Over the past four decades, the accumulation of policy legacies and public debt has led to a decline in fiscal flexibility in Germany and the United States. By applying an index of fiscal democracy to Germany, the paper illustrates the associated shrinkage of democratic control over budget...

Erhöhungen der eigenen Bezüge durch die Parlamentarier rufen in der Öffentlichkeit immer wieder Empörung hervor. Welche Rolle spielt das individuelle Risiko der Abgeordneten, nach dem Ende des Mandats von Einkommenseinbußen und Arbeitslosigkeit betroffen zu sein? Welche Konsequenzen ergeben...