LEGISLATURES AND THE BUDGET PROCESS: THE MYTH OF FISCAL CONTROL WEHNER J. Księgarnia

The legislative 'power of the purse' is an important constitutional principle across contemporary democracies. Yet, national legislatures differ in their approach to fiscal control. What is the role of legislatures in the budget process? Why does this role vary across democratic countries? Are powerful assemblies a threat to the prudent management of public finances?

This unprecedented survey of legislative budgeting tackles these questions using quantitative data and case studies. The analysis reveals a striking variation in the budgetary role of national legislatures across contemporary democracies, which is influenced by colonial heritage as well as current political dynamics. It also finds consistent evidence that powerful legislatures are associated with higher public spending than those with limited authority. Based on in-depth accounts of fundamental reforms to the budget process in Sweden and South Africa, Legislatures and the Budget Process explores how the tension between legislative authority and fiscal discipline might be reconciled.

JOACHIM WEHNER is Senior Lecturer in Public Policy in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. His research is in the area of political economy, in particular public budgeting and fiscal policy. He has also consulted for the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Table of Contents

Perspectives on Legislative Budgeting
The Institutional Foundations of Fiscal Control
Assessing the Power of the Purse
Explaining Cross-national Patterns
Legislative Institutions and Fiscal Policy Outcomes
The Promise of Top-down Budgeting
Beyond the Myth of Fiscal Control

196 pages, Hardcover

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czy wybrany tytuł polskojęzyczny lub anglojęzyczny jest aktualnie na półce księgarni.