Mehrebenenparlamentarismus? Das Beziehungsgeflecht deutscher Landesparlamente

Abstract

The term multi-level parliamentarism has been used to mark the position of German Land parliaments . To check the validity of this term, the relations between parliaments in regard to their parliamentary structure components, namely leadership, administration, committees, parliamentary party groups, and members of parliament within Germany are analyzed . The results show that Land parliaments generally engage in frequent exchanges with other Land parliaments, an exception being exchanges between committees . Exchanges and relationships with parliaments outside Germany are mainly found on the levels of parliamentary leadership and administration . In light of these findings, applying the term multi-level parliamentarism does not seem to adequately depict Land parliaments . The results also reveal that the relations are not only inter-parliamentary and that they do not only take place in the frame of the European Union . Hence, using the term institutional relations of parliaments, albeit less sparkling, seems to adequately describe the real relations, efforts, and contacts of German Land parliaments . Another advantage of the term institutional relations is that it can be assigned to Land parliaments’ self-organization function and can thus be integrated into a common catalogue of parliamentary functions .