ModParl: June Edition
We are well into the global #YearofElections — with at least 64 countries already having held or soon to hold national elections.
Just this month, the United Kingdom’s King Charles dissolved Parliament, with national elections set for July 4. Over the weekend, voters in 27 nations participated in the world’s biggest multi-country vote to elect the members of the European Parliament, with results still coming in at publication time.
Late Sunday evening, France’s President Macron dissolved the French General Assembly, and called for elections on June 30 (round 1) and July 7 (round 2). South Africa’s recent election results will require a coalition following thirty years of one-party majority. SA’s parliament sits to select a president on June 16. Mexico elected its first female president, following an election that was tragically marked by violence. And more than 640 million votes were cast in the world’s largest election in India. The majority party there will also need to form a coalition.
We were inspired by images of South African and Mexican expats showing up to vote from around the world. The National Democratic Institute (NDI) maintains a running list of global elections past and future.
This month, we highlight Kenya’s “Mashinani” innovation — in which its entire Senate temporarily operates from one of the county’s 47 counties.
And for those of you who will be in London for The Impacts of Civic Technology (TICTeC) conference, join us for an in-person pre-conference happy hour on June 11!
Please forward this to any colleagues you believe would benefit, and feel free to reach out! We are always happy to connect with fellow enthusiasts of legislative institutions around the world.
Beatriz Rey, Ph.D.
Dispatch from Kenya: Senate Mashinani
Once a year, senators in Kenya relocate from Nairobi to legislate from one of the country's 47 counties. The project, which is called “Senate Mashinani,” has four goals:
promoting the role and work of the Senate;
highlighting existing and new opportunities for public engagement with the legislative process;
developing and strengthening partnerships with counties; and
providing opportunities for local assemblies to learn and share best practices with senators.
To decide which counties Senators will reallocate to, the Clerk of the Senate sends a reconnaissance team with staff from the Senate to assess the capacity of local assemblies to hold sessions. In 2018, 2019, and 2023, the Senate Mashinani met for one week in Uasin Gishu, Kitui, and Turkana counties, respectively.
While Senators keep their regular schedule outside of the capital, floor and committee activities highlight the interests of the host counties and citizens are invited to interact with committees. For instance, in Kitui, the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries held public and stakeholders’ meetings to discuss issues regarding mung beans. The meetings led to the proposal of the “Mung Beans Bill,” which provides for the development, regulation, and promotion of the mung beans sector. It was approved by the Senate and has been referred to the National Assembly for consideration.
The project is fully funded by the Senate.
Learn more about the Senate Mashinani, including its challenges with logistical complexity and technical infrastructure.
On Our Radar
The future of the UK Parliament
With the recent dissolution of the UK Parliament ahead of a general election on July 4, there could be no better time to think about how the institution might evolve in the coming years. A new collection of essays entitled “Reimagining Parliament,” edited by David Judge and Cristina Leston-Bandeira, does just that. As the authors describe in a recent blog post, the book considers the institution through the notions of space, connectivity, and interaction. We are excited to review!
Connecting digital natives and parliaments
In May, University of Leeds professor Christina Leston-Bandeira also led a seminar on connecting digital natives with parliaments organized by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the International Parliament Engagement Network (IPEN), and INTER PARES. Also worth noting: IPEN runs a newsletter with details of their upcoming and past events.
New studies on deliberative town halls
Three recent peer-reviewed articles about deliberative town halls caught our attention:
The first examines deliberative town halls (DTHs) convened in the Australian Parliament in 2020 to discuss a complex policy. Drawing on interviews, the authors find that DTHs can contribute to recursive representation when they meet the criteria of authenticity, inclusion, and impact.
The second looks at the same issue in the US context, where Congress held over 25,000 town hall meetings in the last eight years. The study suggests electoral vulnerability does not lead legislators to hold these events. Also, there doesn’t seem to exist empirical support for a mutually exclusive relationship between lawmaking and district representation through town hall meetings.
The third investigates what drives legislators to engage in town hall meetings. Like the study above, it finds no evidence that district representation hurts lawmaking. However, legislators who are running for reelection are more likely to participate in these events, as are members who are younger, Democratic, ideologically extreme, in their first term, and representing larger minority populations. Those from gerrymandered districts are less likely to do so.
Monitoring legislatures
The National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Directorio Legislativo (DL) recently published a report that reviews evidence on the impact of Parliamentary Monitoring Organizations (PMOs) in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Many PMOs gather people from various backgrounds to produce relevant, accessible, and timely information about legislative proceedings. The report addresses how PMOs have been adapting, collaborating, and innovating to strengthen legislative effectiveness and integrity.
Examples include:
Directorio Legislativo (Argentina)
Citizen Congress Watch (Taiwan)
Parliament Watch (Uganda)
Data on money and politics
The British nonprofit group mySociety is launching WhoFundsThem, a project that gathers data on legislators’ financial interests (second jobs and donations) and participation in parliamentary groups focused on policies or countries. The organization has an open call for voluntary data collection work.
Perceptions about democracy
According to a new study, faith in democracy remains steady around the world despite a notable general dissatisfaction with people’s views of democratic government in their countries. The 2024 Democracy Perception Index compiles data on democracy, government priorities, global powers, and technology from 53 countries and was launched ahead of this year’s Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
Proactive integration of AI
Bússola Tech Executive Director and Founder Luís Kimaid and NovaWorks Australia CEO and Founder Jonathan Rucket published an essay on the implications of AI’s expanding role in parliaments. They highlight that the choice faced by parliaments is not about whether to implement AI, but “in preparing to navigate its complexities thoughtfully and deliberately.”
AI adoption and impacts in the Global South
The International Republican Institute hosts a Generative AI & Democracy Working Group with representatives from civil society, academia, industry, and policy to discuss the impacts GenAI will have on democracy, particularly in the Global South.
Report from the US: The Comparative Print Suite
The Comparative Print Suite (CPS) is a tool that allows staff in the US House of Representatives to directly compare two versions of a bill. With CPS, staffers can see which changes have been made through edits or amendments or how a bill would change a current law. POPVOX Foundation has written about CPS, highlighting its development, implementation history, and functionality.
The tool was the focus of an event co-sponsored by Bússola Tech and the Organization of American States in May. The meeting included a recognition ceremony honoring the House Office of the Clerk and the Officer of the Legislative Counsel for its leadership in developing and implementing CPS.
The recognition of both institutions for CPS development and implementation highlights the importance of leadership in modernization efforts. Our last newsletter described how Brazil’s Rio Grande do Norte State Assembly digitized its legislative process. As a staffer told us, the initiative would not have taken place without leadership, whose support was key to ensuring changes reached both the administrative and legislative areas.
Upcoming Events
TICTeC Events
The recently announced schedule for MySociety’s TICTeC (The Impact of Civic Technologies Conference) — in London and online June 12-13 — includes a session on parliamentary monitoring featuring speakers from the US, Thailand, and Brazil. Also, POPVOX Foundation, the International Republican Institute (IR), and the National Democracy Institute (NDI) will hold a pre-TicTeC happy hour on June 11 to gather friends who work with, within, or near legislatures around the world (see invite below). The first round is on us!
Next ASGP meeting
The Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) will likely meet between October 14 and 16, when there should be a joint ASGP-Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) session to mark the 85th anniversary of the Association. The agenda includes debates about direct democracy and AI.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association events
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association will hold two events in upcoming months:
the 12th Commonwealth Youth Parliament, which immerses participants aged 18-29 from several regions in the fundamentals behind legislative processes. The event will happen on September 2-5 in New Zealand’s Parliament.
its 67th Annual Conference, which will take place in Sydney, Australia, on November 4-8.
Wroxton Workshop Papers Announced
The 16th Workshop of Parliamentary Scholars and Parliamentarians, to be held on July 27-28, 2024 at Wroxton College will explore current issues in Legislative-Executive relations and public engagement in governance.
World Forum for Democracy
The World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg November 6-8 will focus on elections, disinformation, and citizen engagement for democratic renewal. The theme of the conference is “Democracy and Diversity - Can we transcend the divides?”
Call for Proposals for FWD50
FWD50 has opened a call for proposals for talks focused on policymaking, technology, ethics, and invention. Public servants, technologists, and civic innovators can suggest workshops, skill sessions, case studies, content targeting an executive audience, and ideas for interactive sessions and debates. The event will take place in Ottawa, Canada, and online, on October 10 and November 4-6. Submissions can be sent until July 31. More information can be found on the event’s website.
Tell us your stories!
POPVOX Foundation wants to learn about your experiences in parliaments across the globe. What are examples of progress in your legislative institutions that are happening quietly and would serve as positive examples to staffers from other countries? Don’t hesitate to reach out with your stories: beatriz@popvox.org.
About POPVOX Foundation
POPVOX Foundation is a US-based nonprofit with a mission to inform and empower people and make government work better for everyone. Its dedicated team of former Congressional staffers are united by an enduring commitment to democracy and the legislative process. Through initiatives like the Comparative Legislative Strengthening Project, POPVOX Foundation connects legislative modernizers around the world through a shared passion for public service that knows no borders.
