Parliamentary rules, party norms, and legislative speech

Abstract

This article examines speech participation under different parliamentary rules: open forums dedicated to bill debates, and closed forums reserved for non-lawmaking speeches. It discusses how electoral incentives influence speechmaking by promoting divergent party norms within those forums. Our empirical analysis focuses on the Chilean Chamber of Deputies. The findings lend support to the view that, in forums dedicated to non-lawmaking speeches, participation is greater among more institutionally disadvantaged members (backbenchers, women, and members from more distant districts), while in those that are dedicated to lawmaking debates, participation is greater among more senior members and members of the opposition.