Bicameralism in Slovenia throughout a Three-Dimensional Approach

Dušan Štrus, Boštjan Brezovnik

Abstract


The scientific article discusses bicameralism in Slovenia using a three-dimensional approach. The main objective is to identify whether Slovenian bicameralism is weak or strong, using the criteria of symmetry, congruence, and perceived legitimacy. To achieve this, the authors use the descriptive and analytical method. In their opinion, Slovenian bicameralism has always been categorized as weak based only on its formal powers in the legislative procedure. Therefore, all proposed changes related to the National Council aim to change its formal powers without taking into account the congruence and perceived legitimacy criteria. The authors provide a unique insight into the other two criteria and suggest that calls for reform of the National Council should primarily deal with the congruence and perceived legitimacy criteria. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that no scientific papers have dealt with bicameralism in Slovenia using a three-dimensional approach. The authors believe that the article has cognitive value in times of constant calls for reform of the National Council.


Keywords


bicameralism; National Council; three-dimensional approach; congruence; perceived legitimacy

Full Text:

PDF

References


LITERATURE

Coakley J., Laver M., Options for the Future of Seanad Eireann, [in:] The All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution: Second Progress Report, ed. S. Eireann, Dublin 1997.

French Senate, Bicameral System in the World System: Meeting of the Senates of the World, Paris 2000.

Grad F., Parlamentarno pravo, Ljubljana 2013.

Grad F., Kaučič I., Ribičič C., Kristan I., Državna ureditev Slovenije, Ljubljana 1999.

Lijphart A., Democracies: Patterns of Majoritarian and Consensus Government in Twenty-One Countries, New Haven 1984, DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1ww3w2t.

Lijphart A., Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries, New Haven 1999.

Mill J.S., On Liberty and Other Essays, Oxford 1998.

Mughan A., Comparative Bicameralism: A Survey of Global Approaches, “University of Oxford Human Rights Hub Journal” 2020, no. 2.

Papadopoulos Y., Warin P., Are Innovative, Participatory and Deliberative Procedures in Policy Making Democratic and Effective?, “European Journal of Political Research” 2007, vol. 46(4), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6765.2007.00696.x.

Patterson S.C., Mughan A., Senates and the Theory of Bicameralism, [in:] Senates, Bicameralism in the Contemporary World, Columbus 1999.

Ribičič C., Dvodomnost, [in:] VII. dnevi javnega prava, Portorož 2001.

Russell M., A Stronger Second Chamber? Assessing the Impact of House of Lords Reform in 1999 and the Lessons for Bicameralism, “Political Studies” 2010, vol. 58(5), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.2009.00810.

Russell M., Reforming the House of Lords: Lessons from Overseas, New York 2000, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198298311.001.0001.

Russell M., Rethinking Bicameralism Strength: A Three-Dimensional Approach, “Journal of Legislative Studies” 2013, vol. 19(3), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13572334.2013.773639.

Russell M., The Territorial Role of Second Chambers, “Journal of Legislative Studies” 2001, vol. 7(1), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/714003852.

Senčur M., Dvodomnost slovenskega parlamenta, Ljubljana 2010.

Štrus D., Reshaping the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia, [in:] Constitutional Reform of National Legislatures: Bicameralism under Pressure, ed. A. Richard, Cheltenham–Northampton 2019, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788978644.00022.

Tsebelis G., Money J., Bicameralism, Cambridge 1997, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511609350.

LEGAL ACTS

Act amending the Act on Members of Parliament (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia of 25 May 2011, no. 39/11).

Constitution of Ireland.

Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 33/91-I, as amended).

National Council Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 44/92, as amended).

Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 35/02, as amended).

Rules of Procedure of the National Council (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, no. 70/08, as amended).

CASE LAW

Judgment of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia of 22 October 2008, U-I-295/07.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/sil.2023.32.3.63-74
Date of publication: 2023-09-29 15:54:17
Date of submission: 2023-04-21 14:25:12


Statistics


Total abstract view - 586
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF - 0

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2023 Dušan Štrus, Boštjan Brezovnik

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.