Parliamentary deliberation

Abstract

Deliberation is an individual human activity, which is transformed and complicated by communicating it to another or others. This happens in all collegiate bodies and, in a unique way, in parliaments. It is a unique mode of deliberation because it does not have a voluntary nature: it is a necessary activity to endow the sovereign subject with will without which the existence of the State is not possible. Its nature has been changing with the evolution of the parliamentary institution and with changes in the environment, especially with the consolidation of political parties and the conversion of parliament into a parliament of groups. The current situation is described, and a vision of parliamentary deliberation is proposed where, along with its permanence as a response resource to the challenge, the changes and transformations experienced in recent decades are highlighted. It is concluded that parliamentary deliberation is only accompanying deep changes in the processes of political representation that we should carefully observe.