Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T22:06:06.908Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Nodding or Needling: Analyzing Delegate Responsiveness in an Authoritarian Parliament

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 September 2010

EDMUND MALESKY  and
PAUL SCHULER
EDMUND MALESKY*
Affiliation:
University of California–San Diego
PAUL SCHULER*
Affiliation:
University of California–San Diego
*
Edmund J. Malesky is Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of California–San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 ([email protected]).
Paul Schuler is Ph.D. candidate, Department of Political Science, University of California–San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 ([email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Recent scholarship argues that one solution to ensure longevity and economic growth in an authoritarian regime is to co-opt potential opposition by offering them limited policy influence in a national legislature. Although cooptation theory generates a number of predictions for delegate behavior within an authoritarian parliament, the opacity of such regimes has made empirical confirmation difficult. We resolve this problem by exploiting the transcripts of query sessions in the Vietnamese National Assembly, where delegates question the prime minister and Cabinet members on important issues of the day. Using a content analysis of queries, we offer the first empirical test of delegate behavior in nondemocratic parliaments. We find that some delegates exhibit behavior consistent with cooptation theory by actively participating in sessions, demonstrating criticism of authorities, and responding to the needs of local constituents. Such responsiveness, however, is parameterized by regime rules for nominating, electing, and assigning parliamentary responsibilities to individual delegates.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 104 , Issue 3 , August 2010 , pp. 482 - 502
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abuza, Zachary. 2006. “Vietnam: Country Report.” In Countries at the Crossroads, eds. Tatic, Sanja and Walker, Christopher. New York: Freedom House. 611–32.Google Scholar
Anh, Ngan. 2009. “Lawmaker Grills Deputy PM on Bauxite Project.” Thanh Nien Newspaper June 14. www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T8570444167&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=26&resultsUrlKey=29_T8570444170&cisb=22_T8570444169&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=10962&docNo=35 (accessed July 15, 2010).Google Scholar
Ash-Shura, Majlis. 2009. Shura Council Internal Regulations: Majlis Ash-Shura (Shura Council) Rules of Procedure. www.shura.gov.sa/wps/wcm/connect/ShuraEn/internet/Laws+and+Regulations/The+Shura+Council+and+the+rules+and+regulations+job/Shura+Council+Internal+Regulations/ (accessed July 6, 2010).Google Scholar
Blaydes, Lisa. 2006. “Who Votes in Authoritarian Elections and Why? Determinants of Voter Turnout in Contemporary Egypt.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Bohman, James. 1996. Public Deliberation: Pluralism, Complexity, and Democracy. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Boix, Carles, and Svolik, Milan. 2007. “Non-tyrannical Autocracies.” Unpublished manuscript.Google Scholar
Borthwick, R.L. 1993. “On the Floor of the House.” In Parliamentary Questions, eds. Franklin, Mark and Norton, Philip. Oxford: Clarendon, 73–103.Google Scholar
Carey, John. 2009. Legislative Voting and Accountability. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Carr, Adam. 2009. “Phesphos: Adam Carr's Election Archive.” http://psephos.adam-carr.net (accessed July 6, 2010).Google Scholar
Chester, D.N., and Bowring, Nona. 1962. Questions in Parliament. Oxford: Clarendon.Google Scholar
Chi-Hung, Chu. 1976. “Ethnicity, Partisanship, and Legislative Activity in Malaysia.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 1 (4): 551–61.Google Scholar
Cox, Gary. 2009. “Authoritarian Elections and Leadership Succession.” Unpublished manuscript.Google Scholar
Elster, Jan, ed. 1998. Deliberative Democracy. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Đăng Dung, Nguyễn. 2006. Tổ Chức Bộ Máy Nhà Nước Việt Nam: Theo Các Hiến Pháp 1946, 1959, 1980, 1992 và 1992 Sửa Đổi, Bổ Sung Năm 2001. [The Organization of the Vietnamese State: Following the 1946, 1959, 1980, and 1992 Constitutions and the 2001 Revision of the 1992 Constitution.] Hanoi: Vietnam National Political Publishing House.Google Scholar
Diario, Granma. 2008. “Our Election Results.” January 30, 2008. www.granma.co.cu/secciones/candidatos/nuestros_diputados.htm (accessed July 15, 2010).Google Scholar
Diermeier, Daniel, and Fedderson, Timothy. 1998. “Cohesion in Legislatures and the Vote of Confidence Procedure.” American Political Science Review 92 (3): 611–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dinh Cung, Nguyen, Pham Anh Tuan, Bui Van, and Dapice, David. 2004. Why Don't Northern Provinces Grow Faster? Hanoi, Vietnam: Central Institute for Economic Management and United Nations Development Programme.Google Scholar
Durdiyeva, Chemen. 2008. “Turkmenistan Adopts New Constitution.” CACI Analyst October 15. www.cacianalyst.org/?q=node/4964 (accessed July 6, 2010).Google Scholar
Fforde, Adam, and de Vylder, Stefan. 1996. From Plan to Market: The Economic Transition in Vietnam. Boulder, CO: Westview.Google Scholar
Gainsborough, Martin. 2005. “Party Control: Electoral Campaigning in Vietnam in the Run-up to the May 2002 National Assembly Elections.” Pacific Affairs 78 (1): 57–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gainsborough, Martin. 2010. Re-thinking the Vietnamese State. Unpublished manuscript.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gandhi, Jennifer. 2008. “Dictatorial Institutions and Their Impact on Economic Growth.” European Journal of Sociology 49: 3–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gandhi, Jennifer. 2009. Political Institutions under Dictatorship. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Gandhi, Jennifer, and Lust-Okar, Ellen. 2009. “Elections under Authoritarianism.” American Review of Political Science 12: 403–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gandhi, Jennifer, and Przeworski, Adam. 2006. “Cooperation, Cooptation, and Rebellion under Dictatorships.” Economics and Politics 18 (1): 1–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gandhi, Jennifer, and Przeworski, Adam. 2007. “Authoritarian Institutions and the Survival of Autocrats.” Comparative Political Studies 40 (1): 1279–1301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geddes, Barbara. 2006. “Why Parties and Elections in Authoritarian Regimes.” Revised version of paper presented at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Gillespie, John. 2008. “Localizing Global Rules: Public Participation in Lawmaking in Vietnam.” Law and Social Inquiry 33 (3): 673–707.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Glassman, Matthew Eric. 2009. “A Parliamentary-style Question Period: Proposals and Issues for Congress.” Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report for Congress, March 5.Google Scholar
Ha, Thu, and Anh, Lan. 2009. “‘Entrust Heavy Responsibilities to Innovators,’ Former NA Chairman Urges.” August 20. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/interviews/2009/08/864361/ (accessed July 6, 2010).Google Scholar
Haber, Steven. 2006. “Authoritarian Government.” In Handbook of Political Economy, eds. Weingast, Barry and Wittman, Donald. New York: Oxford University Press, 693–707.Google Scholar
Harrington, Joanna, McDorman, Ted, and Neilson, William. 1998. “The 1992 Vietnamese Constitution: Economic Reform, Political Continuity.” In Asia-Pacific Legal Development, eds. Johnston, Douglas and Ferguson, Gerry. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 243–68.Google Scholar
Huntington, Samuel. 1991. The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.Google Scholar
Huong, Lien. 2007. “Candidates Being Counted.” Vietnam Investment Review March 20. www.vir.com.vn/Client/VIR/index.asp?url=content.asp&doc=12480 (accessed July 6, 2010).Google Scholar
Johnson, Nevil. 1962. “Questions in the Bundestag.” Parliamentary Affairs 16 (1): 22–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khanh, Hong. 2007. “Still Reserving Seats for Self-nominated Candidates.” [Hãy dành ghế cho đại biểu ứng cử tự do vào Quốc hội.] February 24. http://vnexpress.net/Vietnam/Xa-hoi/2007/02/3B9F3769/ (accessed July 6, 2010).Google Scholar
Lust-Okar, Ellen. 2006. “Elections under Authoritarianism: Preliminary Lessons from Jordan.” Democratization 13 (3): 456–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ly, Hoang, and Toan, Xuan. 2006. “Vietnam House Ratifies Cabinet Members.” Thanh Nien Daily June 29.Google Scholar
Magaloni, Beatriz. 2006. Voting for Autocracy. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Magaloni, Beatriz. 2007. “Elections under Autocracy and the Strategic Game of Fraud.” Revised version of a paper presented at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Magaloni, Beatriz, and Kricheli, Ruth. 2010. “Political Order and One Party Rule.” Annual Review of Political Science 13: 123–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malesky, Edmund. 2008. “Straight Ahead on Red: How Foreign Direct Investment Empowers Subnational Leaders.” Journal of Politics 70 (1): 97–119.Google Scholar
Malesky, Edmund, and Schuler, Paul. 2008. “Why Do Single-party Regimes Hold Elections? An Analysis of Candidate-level Data in Vietnam's 2007 National Assembly Contest.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston.Google Scholar
Malesky, Edmund, and Schuler, Paul. 2009. “Paint-by-numbers Democracy: The Stakes, Structure, and Results of the 2007 Vietnamese National Assembly Election.” Journal of Vietnamese Studies 4 (1): 1–48.Google Scholar
Manin, Bernard, Stokes, Susan, and Przeworski, Adam. 1999a. “Elections and Representation.” In Democracy, Accountability, and Representation, eds. Przeworski, Adam, Stokes, Susan, and Manin, Bernard. New York: Cambridge University Press, 29–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manin, Bernard, Stokes, Susan, and Przeworski, Adam. 1999b. “Introduction.” In Democracy, Accountability, and Representation, eds. Przeworski, Adam, Stokes, Susan, and Manin, Bernard. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1–26.Google Scholar
Manion, Melanie. 1996. “The Electoral Connection in the Chinese Countryside.” American Political Science Review 90 (4): 736–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meron, A. Colin, and Trivedi, Pravin K.. 1998. Regression Analysis of Count Data. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Nhung, Le. 2010. “Khong the luc nao cung ‘nhuong’ nguoi khac phat bieu.” http://daibieuquochoi.vietnamnet.vn/content.aspx?id=113 (accessed July 6, 2010).Google Scholar
Ninh, Kim. 2007. “In Vietnam: Grilling Public Officials—A Good Thing.” November 28. http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2007/11/28/in-vietnam-grilling-public-officials-a-good-thing/ (accessed July 6, 2010).Google Scholar
North, Douglass, and Weingast, Barry. 1989. “Constitutions and Commitment: The Evolution of Institutions Governing Public Choice in Seventeenth-century England.” Journal of Economic History 4 (49): 803–32.Google Scholar
O'Brien, Kevin J. 1994. “Agents and Remonstrators: Role Accumulation by Chinese People's Congress Deputies.” The China Quarterly 138: 359–80.Google Scholar
Pepinsky, Tom. 2007. “Autocracy, Elections, and Fiscal Policy: Evidence from Malaysia.” Studies in Comparative International Development 42 (1–2): 136–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Puddington, Arch. 2010. “Freedom in the World 2010: Erosion of Freedom Intensifies. Overview Essay.” www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/fiw10/FIW_2010_Overview_Essay.pdf (accessed July 6, 2010).Google Scholar
Roman, Peter. 2007. “Electing Cuba's National Assembly Deputies: Proposals, Selections, Nominations, and Campaigns.” European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies 82 (April): 69–87.Google Scholar
Salmond, Rob. 2009. “Parliamentary Question Times: How Legislative Accountability Mechanisms Affect Mass Political Engagement.” University of Michigan Political Science Working Paper. Salomon, Mathieu. 2007. “Power and Representation at the Vietnamese National Assembly: The Scope and Limits of Political Doi Moi.” In Vietnam's New Order, eds. Stephanie Balme and Mark Sidel. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 198–216.Google Scholar
Simpser, Alberto. 2005. “Making Votes Not Count: Strategic Incentives for Electoral Corruption.” Ph.D diss. Stanford University.Google Scholar
Slater, Dan. 2003. “Iron Cage in an Iron Fist: Authoritarian Institutions and the Personalization of Power in Malaysia.” Comparative Politics 36 (1): 81–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soroka, Stuart, Penner, Erik, and Blidook, Kelly. 2009. “Constituency Influence in Parliament.” Canadian Journal of Political Science 42 (3): 563–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thanh, Bùi Ngọc. 2007. “Cuoc Bau Cu Dai Bieu Quoc Hoi Khoa XII: Nhung Van De Thuc Te.” [The Election for the 12th National Assembly: Practical Problems], Tap Chi Nghien Cuu Lap Phap [Legislative Review] (July): 16–22.Google Scholar
Thayer, Carlyle. 1993. “Recent Political Development: Constitutional Change and the 1992 Elections.” In Vietnam and the Rule of Law, eds. Thayer, Carlyle and Marr, David. Canberra: Australian National University, 50–80.Google Scholar
Thayer, Carlyle. 2009. “Political Legitimacy of Vietnam's One Party-state: Challenges and Responses.” Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs 4: 47–70.Google Scholar
Tsai, Lily. 2007. Accountability without Democracy: Solidary Groups and Public Goods Provision in Rural China. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Turley, William, and Womack, Brantly. 1998. “Asian Socialism's Open Doors: Guangzhou and Ho Chi Minh City.” The China Journal 40 (July).Google Scholar
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). 2009. Public Administration Performance Index Pilot Survey. Hanoi, Vietnam: UNDP.Google Scholar
Vasavakul, Thaveeporn. 2003. “From Fence-breaking to Networking: Interests, Popular Organizations and Policy Influences in Post-socialist Vietnam.” In Getting Organized in Vietnam: Moving in and around the Socialist State, eds. Kerkvliet, Ben J. Tria, Heng, Russell, and Koh, David. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 25–61.Google Scholar
Van An, Nguyen. 2007. “Thực hành dân chủ trong hoạt động của Quốc hội.” [Realizing Democracy in the Activity of the National Assembly]. March 20. www.vietnamnet.vn/chinhtri/doinoi/2007/03/675344/ (accessed July 6, 2010).Google Scholar
Vietnam National Assembly (VNA). 2008. Answers at the Query Session. May 5. http://www.na.gov.vn/htx/Vietnamese/C1396/C1745/C1821/C1826/default.asp?Newid=19281#L9sW6DutQZfG (accessed July 16, 2010).Google Scholar
Vietnam National Assembly (VNA). 2009. Answers at the Query Session. June 12. http://www.na.gov.vn/htx/Vietnamese/C1396/C1745/C1940/C1945/default.asp?ewid=29937#ChDXF4amAvuz (accessed July 16, 2010).Google Scholar
Vietnam News Service (VNS). 2008. “Vietnam NA Agrees to Expand Hanoi.” June 2. http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T9745893944&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T9745893947&cisb=22_T9745893946&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=227171&docNo=20 (accessed July 15, 2010).Google Scholar
Vietnam News Service (VNS). 2009. “Bauxite Mining Needs Careful Plan: Politburo.” July 8. http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T9745916755&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=26&resultsUrlKey=29_T9745916758&cisb=22_T9745916757&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=227171&docNo=28 (accessed July 15, 2010).Google Scholar
Weingast, Barry. 1997. “The Political Foundations of Democracy and the Rule of Law.” American Political Science Review 91 (2): 245–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, Stephen. 1980. “The USSR Supreme Soviet: A Developmental Perspective.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 5 (2): 247–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, Joseph. 2008. “Do Authoritarian Institutions Constrain? How Legislatures Affect Economic Growth and Investment.” American Journal of Political Science 52 (2): 322–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Maleskey and Schuler supplementary material

Agenda

Download Maleskey and Schuler supplementary material(File)
File 68.6 KB
Supplementary material: File

Maleskey and Schuler supplementary material

Tables and figures

Download Maleskey and Schuler supplementary material(File)
File 115.7 KB
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.