8 February 2015 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Erskine May. May is the most famous of the fifty holders of the office of Clerk of the House of Commons. His continued renown arises from his Treatise upon the Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament, first published in 1844 and with its 25th edition currently in preparation. It is known throughout those parts of the world that model their constitutional arrangements on Westminster as the 'Bible of Parliamentary Procedure'. This volume celebrates both the man and his book. Bringing together current and former Clerks in the House of Commons and outside experts, the contributors analyse May's profound contribution to the shaping of the modern House of Commons, as it made the transition from the pre-Reform Act House to the modern core of the UK's constitutional democracy in his lifetime. This is perhaps best symbolised by its enforced transition between 1834 and 1851 from a mediaeval slum to the World Heritage Palace of Westminster, which is the most iconic building in the UK. The book also considers the wider context of parliamentary law and procedure, both before and after May's time. It constitutes the first sustained analysis of the development of parliamentary procedure in over half a century, attempting to situate the reforms in the way the central institution of our democracy conducts itself in the political contexts which drove those changes.

8 February 2015 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Erskine May. May is the most famous of the fifty holders of the office of Clerk of the House of Commons. His continued renown arises from his Treatise upon the Law, Privileges, Proceedings and Usage of Parliament, first published in 1844 and with its 25th edition currently in preparation. It is known throughout those parts of the world that model their constitutional arrangements on Westminster as the 'Bible of Parliamentary Procedure'. This volume celebrates both the man and his book. Bringing together current and former Clerks in the House of Commons and outside experts, the contributors analyse May's profound contribution to the shaping of the modern House of Commons, as it made the transition from the pre-Reform Act House to the modern core of the UK's constitutional democracy in his lifetime. This is perhaps best symbolised by its enforced transition between 1834 and 1851 from a mediaeval slum to the World Heritage Palace of Westminster, which is the most iconic building in the UK. The book also considers the wider context of parliamentary law and procedure, both before and after May's time. It constitutes the first sustained analysis of the development of parliamentary procedure in over half a century, attempting to situate the reforms in the way the central institution of our democracy conducts itself in the political contexts which drove those changes.

The parliamentary style of politics has been formed over centuries; nobody theorised it in advance. This book presents a thought experiment to spell out key principles of the parliamentary ideal type of politics. Max Weber offers the main intellectual inspiration, Westminster parliament provides the main historical reference and the author’s studies on parliamentary procedure and rhetoric provide the background for the book. Parliamentary acting and thinking offer us the best example of politics as a contingent and controversial activity. Using a parliamentary imagination, the author constructs the ideal type in five main chapters: dissensual modes of proceeding; rhetoric of parliamentary debate; parliamentary formation and control of government; parliamentarians as politicians; and parliamentary time as their common subtext. In the last two chapters, the book outlines the possibilities of extending parliamentary judgment to politics beyond parliaments proper and the chances for parliamentary politics succeeding today.

Im Jahr 1952 bildeten Politiker aus Deutschland, Frankreich, Belgien, Italien, den Niederlanden und Luxemburg die erste Ad-hoc-Versammlung mit dem Ziel, eine Verfassung für eine künftige europäische politische Gemeinschaft zu entwerfen. In ihren Überlegungen, wie eine parlamentarische Regierung in einer supranationalen Gemeinschaft realisiert werden könnte, formulierten die Teilnehmer zentrale Aspekte der europäischen Politisierung. Das Buch entdeckt diesen bisher vernachlässigten Ursprung des parlamentarischen Europas neu und untersucht die Bedeutung der Ad-hoc-Versammlung für die Politisierung der europäischen Integration. Es geht der Frage nach, wie die Versammlung als Projekt der europäischen Integration nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg funktionierte, und erklärt sie als einen Moment in der politischen Theorie- und Begriffsgeschichte des Parlamentarismus, der Perspektiven für spätere Phasen der Parlamentarisierung der EU eröffnet.

With trust in Parliament and politicians at a seriously low level, there is an increasing need to rebuild our public institutions. This innovative book questions what Parliament should be in the 21st century and how it can be reimagined. It shows how a new democratic parliamentary space can be created to better represent and engage with citizens; to furnish a safe, inclusive and fair working environment for all staff and members; and to secure greater responsiveness and accountability of government. Bringing together a vibrant group of parliamentary scholars and practitioners, it proposes an institutional world of possibilities beyond the present Westminster village, to help restore faith in democracy. .

The easy-to-use, commonsense approach to rules for group leadership, with over a million copies sold! A unique, simplified, commonsense approach to rules for effective group leadership. This practical manual: · Is based on Robert’s "Rules of Order," neither changing nor superseding standard procedure. · Enables anyone to use Robert’s "Rules" without memorizing the rules. · Features the unique "split-page" Finger Index for in-meeting use to locate specific rules. · Includes easy-reference question-and-answer charts answering the eight basic aspects of every motion. · Gives sound advice on chairmanship, classification and precedence of motions, amendment, proper phraseology, adjournment procedure, questions of privilege, points of order, appeals, parliamentary strategy, nominations and elections, duties of the secretary, record the minutes. · Contains all rules in common use governing the discussion and action of groups. · Is indispensable for clubs, unions, fraternal orders, conventions, conferences, and all meetings and organizations where orderly progress of business calls for the use of parliamentary procedure.

This comprehensive Handbook takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of parliaments, offering novel insights into the key aspects of legislatures, legislative institutions and legislative politics. Connecting rich and diverse fields of inquiry, it illuminates how the study of parliaments has shaped a wider understanding surrounding politics and society over the past decades.