Political behaviour in the European Parliament
Published in The Oxford Handbook of Legislative Studies, 2014
Recommended citation: Simon Hix and Bjørn Høyland (2014)."Political Behaviour in the European Parliament."The Oxford Handbook of Legislative Studies Eds Shane Martin, Thomas Saalfeld, and Kaare W. Strøm. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199653010.013.0021
This chapter examines political behavior and legislative politics in the European Parliament. It begins with a review of research findings on the political behavior of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), focusing on the last decade or so. It considers the process of recruitment and election of the members of parliament and how this process affects them and their political preferences. It then looks at the formation of political parties and committees in the European Parliament—the so-called “equilibrium institutions”—and how they shape MEP behavior and policy outcomes in the European Parliament—the so-called “institutional equilibria.”