INTRODUCTION

When Parliament first appeared as an innovative political institution, it was to solve a simple bargaining problem: Rich constituents would bargain with the King to determine how much they wished to pay for services granted them by the King, such as fighting wars and providing some assurances for the safety of their travel and property rights.

In the modern polity, governments have greatly expanded their size and the range and sphere of their services, while constituents have come to pay more taxes to cover the ever-growing price tag of these services. Consequently, parliamentary systems and parliamentary political processes have become more complex, involving more constituents and making policy recommendations and decisions that reach far beyond decisions of war and peace and basic property rights. But the center of the entire bargaining process in democratic parliamentary systems is still Parliament.

Globalization trends in politics and economics do not bypass, but pass through local governments. They do not diminish but increase pressure and demands put on national governments. These governments that used to be sovereign in their territories and decision spheres are now constantly feeling globalization pressures in every aspect of their decision-making processes. Some of these governments can deal with the extra pressures while others are struggling. A majority of these governments are coalition governments in parliamentary systems. Unlike the U.S. presidential system, parliamentary systems are not based on checks and balances but on a more literal interpretation of representation.