The Consociational Model and Question Time in the Northern Ireland Assembly

Policy Issues, Procedural Reforms and Executive Accountability, 2007–2011

Bibliographic Data

ID6074950
AuthorsRichard S Conley, Richard Conley (0000-0001-8560-1603, corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume28
Issue1
Pages78-98
Publication date2013-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueIrish Political Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0790-7184 • E-ISSN: 1743-9078
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/07907184.2012.693917
OpenAlexW2018214793
LanguageEN
Citations received25
References cited26

Little is known about comparative innovations in question time procedure in Northern Ireland. This research provides an exploratory analysis of 1,999 oral questions to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, and 31,664 questions posed to other ministers in the four legislative sessions from 2007 to 2011. The theoretical framework focuses on how the practice of parliamentary questions reflects the consociational model of governance taking shape in the Stormont Assembly. The study accentuates a decline in the number of questions posed to the dual executive and other ministers over time – a dynamic that represents a purposeful effort on the part of the Assembly to decrease the number of questions through procedural reform, with the objective of obtaining more substantive answers. The findings also show that parliamentary questions on economic issues increased, but community issues remained a dominant policy concern across time. Finally, the analysis shows substantive responses were the norm among both the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Responses by ministers with portfolio were more variable

Accountability · Corporate governance · Economics · Legislature · Management · Norm (philosophy · Political science · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Irish and British Studies · Political and Economic history of UK and US · Law · Public Administration

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