Constitutional Reform of National Legislatures

Edited by Richard Albert, William Stamps Farish Professor in Law, University of Texas at Austin, US, Antonia Baraggia, Assistant Professor of Comparative Public Law, Department of Italian and Supranational Public Law, University of Milan and Cristina Fasone, Assistant Professor of Comparative Public Law, Department of Political Science, LUISS Guido Carli, Italy

'Despite its distinguished constitutional history and rationales, bicameralism has often been a contested choice. This excellent edited collection explores the pros and cons of bicameral legislative structures and especially their ability to reform themselves. Covering a rich variety of jurisdictions, the book is bound to be of great interest to comparative constitutionalist and political scientists alike.'--Robert Schütze, Durham Law School, UK'This volume brings a fresh approach to and analysis of bicameralism as a constitutional law concept. The vast contribution of case studies, together with concluding chapters of each section of the book, provides depth and reflection to the overall analysis. As pointed out in the book's Foreword and Conclusion, the topic is especially relevant in times of populism and challenges to liberal democracy and constitutionalism. Anyone with an interest in comparative constitutional law in general and constitutional design and its impact on the resilience of liberal democracies in particular, will benefit from the contributions to this book.'--Anna Jonsson Cornell, Uppsala University, Sweden'Parliaments' second chambers are often challenged to prove they have a purpose. Still bicameralism has been surprisingly resilient, against all rational approach to political institutions' engineering. Edited by three scholars from both sides of the Atlantic, this valuable collection sheds new light on why bicameralism keeps being put under pressure but is so hard to change, and is particularly relevant in light of the ongoing populist wave. A must for those who look for an answer about what to do with bicameralism today.'--Carlo Fusaro, University of Florence, Italy

• Contents:Foreword Meg Russell, Bicameralism in an Age of PopulismIntroduction 1. The Challenge of Reforming BicameralismRichard Albert, Antonia Baraggia and Cristina FasonePart I Theories and Challenges to Bicameralism: Multi-tiered Government Systems and the EU 2. Bicameralism. Multiple Theoretical Roots in Diverging PracticesMaria Romaniello3. ‘Visible’ and ‘Invisible’ Second Chambers in Unitary States. ‘Territorialising’ National Legislatures in Italy and the United KingdomBarbara Guastaferro4. How Does the European Union Challenge Bicameralism? Lessons from the Italian Case Pietro Faraguna5. The Scrutiny of EU Documents in Bicameral System. Opportunity or Weakness?Wouter Wolfs and Caterina Cigala6. The House of Lords faces up to BrexitPeter Leyland 7. Bicameralism in Multi-tiered SystemsPatricia PopelierPart II Challenging Unicameralism8. The Shadow of Bicameralism in a Unicameral State: Dispersed Functional Bicameralism in Bulgaria?Mihail Vatsov and Polina Vakleva9. Defending Bicameralism and Equalizing Powers: the Case of PeruDiego Serra10. The Failed Referendum to Abolish the Ireland’s Senate: Rejecting Unicameralism in a Small and Relatively Homogenous CountryDavid Kenny11. Unicameralism and “Masked” BicameralismCristina FasonePart III Reforming or Abolishing the Upper House?12. The Sénat Français of the Fifth Republic: The Permanent ParadoxPriscilla Jensel Monge13. The Future of Poland’s Second Chamber: Is the Senate Still Needed?Katarzyna Granat14. Reshaping the National Council of the Republic of SloveniaDušan Štrus15. Bicameralism(s) in the Age of Ethnicity: Prospects for Reform of Legislatures in Bosnia and HerzegovinaNedim Kulenović16. Bicameralism As a Normative Choice In the Tension Between Its Reform and Its PassingGiovanni PiccirilliConclusionWhat Are We To Make of Bicameralism in the Twentieth-First Century? The Reform TrapCristina FasoneIndex