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Project

Taking Control? Administrative Capacity-building in the European Parliament

In contrast to most national parliaments, the European Parliament has consistently strengthened its position over the years. It has adapted its internal organization in order to maximize its influence over EU decision-making. In this respect, scholars have extensively examined the political organization of the EP, but our knowledge about the administrative organization is much more limited. However, studies have shown that administrative policy capacity matters for parliamentary work. This research project will describe and explain how policy capacity is organized in the administration of the European Parliament. In addition, the project will examine how Members of European Parliament use the available policy capacity in their parliamentary activities, and explain the differences in the use of policy advice. The findings will fill a gap in both the literature on the European Parliament and the study of policy capacity, and will open a new avenue of research on policy analysis in the legislative branch.

Date:1 Nov 2021 →  Today
Keywords:European Parliament, administrative policy capacity, EU politics
Disciplines:Comparative politics, European union politics, Institutional reforms, Party politics, Political representation, executive and legislative politics