International Spread of Chamber Designs and Their Effects in the Asia-Pacific

Abstract

The authors shed light on the legislative chamber design from the viewpoint of political science. Although the architecture including the chamber design should be seen as a part of politics and some politicians recognize it, there have been very few political science works that have touched on this subject over a long period of time. Our framework implies that the chamber design should be understood as a corollary of other political institutions such as the electoral system and the separation of powers and as having indispensable effects on the overall political process. Our case study of the Legislative Yuan in Taiwan shows that the chamber design and its effects depend on historical legacies as well as the rational incentive structures of actors.