Cristina Leston-Bandeira

How deeply are parliaments engaging on social media

This article explores how parliaments are using social media, assessing the role this plays in public engagement. Relatively latecomers to the world of social media, parliaments have made considerable strides in the last couple of years with many now joining a platform that is still perceived as an unknown and vulnerable space for formal political institutions. We show that parliaments are using social media mainly to report parliamentary business, interacting with citizens only on the margins. We consider the extent to which this approach constitutes public engagement and explore the differences in strategy between parliamentary institutions. In our analysis we consider in particular the specificity of parliamentary institutions in their ability to use this type of tools effectively. We also reflect on the limitations and challenges these tools raise to an institution such as a parliament, namely in terms of engaging with the public. Our study includes an overview of social media accounts in parliaments across the world, being mainly based on a content analysis of a sample of Facebook and Twitter feeds from five European parliaments, supported by information drawn from elite interviews with senior parliamentary officials and representatives.

Methods Teaching through a Discipline Research-Oriented Approach

In a context of intense debate around the need to promote stronger research skills in politics graduates, this article explores an approach to teaching research methods which focuses on the discipline, student and research process. Through a case study, we show that adopting a discipline-embedded research-oriented approach ensures student engagement with methods teaching. Following the principle that students should experience primary research from the moment of choosing a research topic up to the stage of implementation and analysis of results, students engage with this module through their interest in the discipline and sense of ownership of their learning process.

How Are Parliaments Using New Media to Engage with Citizens

ICT-based methods of communication, and especially new forms of social media, offer parliaments the opportunity to communicate with citizens and engage them in the political process more effectively. This is important in a context of declining levels of trust in parliaments where new media is often identified as a tool to address poor engagement with politics. However, the use of ICT poses significant challenges to parliaments, many of which do not readily adopt new technology. As a result, most parliaments have acquired some of the forms and elements of ICT and the new social media, but most have not yet been able to use them in a highly successful manner or incorporate them effectively into their work. Sound management, adequate staff and funding are clearly important. However, cultural and institutional factors, along with how a parliament uses technology, can have as significant an effect as management procedures and financial resources.

The Portuguese parliament during the first two decades of democracy

This article sets out the main stages in the development of the Portuguese parliament over the past two decades. This development has been characterised by the growing rationalisation of the internal operation of parliament, notably through an increased role for committees, and the greater importance attached to parliamentary scrutiny of the executive. Recently, the Portuguese parliament has taken important steps in strengthening its links with society and in responding to public concerns. Some of the measures discussed in this context have helped to support the legitimation function of parliament; but parliament will need better developed resources if it is to act an effective check on the government.

Parliamentary functions portrayed on European parliaments' websites

This article uses data from a pilot study on the websites of 15 parliaments in Europe to identify which parliamentary functions are portrayed on these websites. The pilot study undertook a contents analysis focused on four parliamentary functions: legislation, legitimation, representation and scrutiny, to ascertain the extent to which each of these functions is present on the websites analysed. As parliaments face difficulties of public perception, their websites become an important tool for dissemination of parliamentary work. And yet we know little about what these websites portray, when it comes to parliamentary activity. Are these websites a reflection of parliamentary work? To what extent do these websites express political debate? To what extent are these websites comprehensive to all of the roles performed by parliaments? This article shows that legislation is the main focus of parliamentary websites in Europe and representation the one that has less devoted space. This may go some way to explain why some parliamentary websites are considered as too dense and not user friendly. We also show that parliamentary websites tend to focus on parliamentary outputs to the detriment of parliamentary actors. Because of their institutional collective representation, parliaments are cautious in focusing on politicians or parties; instead they focus on what parliaments produce (laws, questions, debates, etc.). Again, this goes some way to explain why parliaments’ websites may not be as engaging as one may expect, simply because they are not meant to reflect political debate, but simply to facilitate it.

Internalising the Lessons of Stable Democracy: The Portuguese Parliament

The Portuguese Parliament has changed enormously since it was first introduced in the mid-1970s. Most of these changes took place in the aftermath of the experience of the absolute majorities period, in the second decade of democracy. After the time when representation and legitimacy were paramount principles came a time where effectiveness became the key issue in the practice of democracy. Drawing from different sources of research, this article focuses on the changes that the Portuguese Parliament has been through since its inauguration. It looks into the social and demographic profiles of MPs, as well as their career patterns, centring thereafter in parliaments structure and activity. A section on regulatory change provides the framework to understand better the final sections on the legislative and scrutiny functions. The authors wish to thank the Portuguese Parliaments Divisão de Informação Legislativa e Parlamentar, in particular Conceição Azevedo, as well as its Arquivo Histórico Parlamentar for the valuable support given in data collection. Moreover, part of this article stems from a study on parliamentary recruitment supported by the Secretariado Técnico dos Assuntos para o Processo Eleitoral. We are grateful for its support, namely to Fátima Mendes, Jorge Miguéis and graça archer. we are also grateful to Sally Clark for her help with our difficult Portuguese terms.

The Role of the Portuguese Parliament Based on a Case Study: The Discussion of the Budget, 1983-95

Barely studied, the Portuguese parliament is a young institution which has undergone numerous and deep changes in its first 20 years of democratic existence. This article looks into those changes during a fundamental period of Portuguese political life: from 1983 to 1995, after the so‐called transition to democracy, in the years that Portugal became a member of the European Union and in the period that saw the occurrence (and repetition) of an absolute majority. To understand the changes in parliaments role, a case study has been chosen: the consideration of the budget bill. This article is based on three main aspects: procedural rules, debate styles and votes. The analysis of the budget discussions shows how the Portuguese parliament has undergone a strong rationalisation process, as well as a change in the role of parliamentarians; from a loss of decisional power, the parliamentarians found new ways of exercising influence in Portuguese politics. The votes on the budget bill and its amendments are an e...

Using e-learning to promote critical thinking in politics

Abstract This paper aims to explore how the use of e-learning can help to enhance critical thinking skills through supporting the development of an active learning and constructivist approach to teaching and the promotion of reflective skills. The paper is based on the case studies of two modules, which have been taught for over five years. These modules have been used to develop approaches which strengthen the students’ ability to think critically by promoting independent learning and reflection. The outcome has been very positive, resulting in outstanding work produced by students and excellent feedback. However, the paper also shows that this is only achievable if the tutor plays an active role in managing the learning process.

Developing Links Despite the Parties – Parliament and Citizens in Portugal

This article reviews the historical and institutional context of the Portuguese parliament and its consequences in shaping its relationship with citizens. This explains the heavily party-based representative mandate, as well as its national nature. Not only do parties mediate the relationship between parliament and citizens, but also constituencies have had little meaning in the Portuguese constitutional framework. Still, the article shows that the relationship between parliament and citizens has deepened over the last decade. In particular, the parliament has opened up considerably, namely through public engagement activities and new media. The article also dedicates a considerable part to petitions, as these have become an important mechanism for Portuguese citizens to engage with parliament.