The Institute for Parliamentarism Research (IParl) organised its first Academy on Parliamentarism in March 2023. As part of the one-week conference programme, young academics (advanced students and doctoral candidates) were taught key content and methods of parliamentarism research in a practical way. In addition to a round table discussion with parliamentary practitioners and visits to the Bundestag and Bundesrat, all participants were given concrete insights into the work of members of the Bundestag as part of a "constituency day". In addition, recognised parliamentary experts offered learning units on various topics.
At the beginning, theoretical and empirical foundations of parliamentarism research were discussed, from the functions of parliaments to the importance of comparative criteria. Day two focussed on legal and historical perspectives of German parliamentarism, including the Basic Law, the relationship between the Bundestag and the Federal Constitutional Court and the role of parliamentary groups. In the middle of the week, the comparison of parliaments was presented as an important research method, with explanations of different systems of government and types of democracy. How parliaments maintain their ability to function in crisis situations was the subject of the fourth day. Prof Patrick Sensburg (former Member of Parliament, Cologne University of Police and Public Administration), Armand Zorn (Member of Parliament, SPD) and Catarina dos Santos (Member of Parliament, CDU) discussed the issue of personnel renewal in parliaments in a panel discussion and answered questions from the participants. The final day rounded off the wide range of topics discussed with the ever topical subject of electoral law reform.
In addition to the seminar content, the participants had the opportunity to present completed or ongoing research work to an interested and expert audience. A more detailed conference report is available on the Portal for Political Science of the Foundation for Science and Democracy to read.
A new edition of the IParl Academy is being planned; further information will be published at a later date.
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