The Power of the Purse : The Role of European Parliaments in Budgetary Decisions (Routledge Revivals)

The Power of the Purse (1976) puts the alleged decline of parliaments’ ‘power of the purse’ to the test. Fourteen experts – political scientists, economists, public lawyers – examined different aspects of parliamentary control of the budget in six European states: Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherland and Switzerland. They show a great deal of variation from one country to another, but all agree in finding this aspect of parliament’s role a problematic one with important practical implications for the effectiveness of government.