Abstract
Legislatures face a tension between legislative effectiveness and the inclusion of minority parties in policymaking. On one hand, providing minority party members with a meaningful role in the development of legislation may decrease the efficiency of the policymaking process, decrease the extent to which legislation meets the interests of majority party members, and increase the likelihood of gridlock if minority parties have the power to block legislation. On the other hand, excluding minority party members from the policymaking process may leave a significant portion of the public with no meaningful representation in the development of major legislation. This effective lack of representation is problematic for two reasons. First, legislation may fail to address interests held by minority party members and their constituents. Second, a lack of meaningful representation undermines representative democracy and democratic legitimacy.
Recommended Citation
Joseph Crupi,
Including Minority Parties in Policymaking: A Legislative Requirement To Address Member Interests,
122
Mich. L. Rev. Online
12
(2023).
Available at:
https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr_online/vol122/iss1/1