Fasone, Cristina --- "Concluding chapter - Unicameralism and masked bicameralism" [2019] ELECD 1870; in Albert, Richard; Baraggia, Antonia; Fasone, Cristina (eds), "Constitutional Reform of National Legislatures" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2019) 183

Book Title: Constitutional Reform of National Legislatures

Editor(s): Albert, Richard; Baraggia, Antonia; Fasone, Cristina

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Section: Chapter 11

Section Title: Concluding chapter - Unicameralism and masked bicameralism

Author(s): Fasone, Cristina

Number of pages: 10

Abstract/Description:

How many shapes can a parliament take? Unicameral, bicameral and even tricameral arrangements stem from the peculiar constitutional history a country has experienced, even though there are common traits behind the choice of a certain parliamentary structure. The chapter deals with the cases of unicameralism and ‘masked’ bicameralism presented in the main chapters of Part II and tries to identify the conditions under which a second chamber can be deemed in existence as well as the pros and cons of having functional bicameralism or second chambers ‘lookalikes’ in place. After briefly reviewing examples of multi-chamber parliaments and of successful abolition of second chambers, the chapter engages with the cases of Bulgaria, Peru and Ireland as paradigmatic experiences of the tension between unicameralism and bicameralism.