This Diploma Thesis deals with obstructions within the legislative process of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, more precisely in hearings at the Lower House. The aim of the thesis is to describe the phenomenon of obstructions and their importance in the legislative process. In the beginning, the author establishes three basic research questions, which he then tries to answer through quantitative methods. Firstly, the author answers the question whether either site of the ideological spectrum tends to use the tactic of obstruction more often. Secondly, he inquires whether there are any differences between the obstructions of a right-wing or a left-wing party. Finally, the author aims to clarify if the long-established parties in the Chamber of Deputies have an advantage in the practice of obstructions and thus are more successful in it than new parties are. The text is divided into three separate chapters with a logical structure starting from theoretical themes and continuing with an empirical analysis. The first part, which is purely theoretical, is followed by a chapter dealing with the legislative process which can be considered as a transition between the theoretical and empirical parts. The following chapter is based on empiricism and analyses stenographic records and interviews with the representatives of political parties. The carried out analyses suggest that it is impossible to state clearly which site of the ideological spectrum tends to use the tactic of obstruction more often, as in the majority of cases parties using this tactic find themselves in the opposition. However, while obstructing, both left-wing and right-wing parties use almost identical tools. Ultimately, it can be stated that parties represented in the House of Deputies for a long period are not more successful in practicing obstructions than other parties, even though they use strategies that are more sophisticated.

A influência dos partidos políticos nas decisões dos congressistas é um tema extremamente debatido na ciência política. No que diz respeito à política externa, usualmente considerada como tema suprapartidário, a questão apresenta-se ainda mais inconclusiva. A presente pesquisa analisa todas as votações nominais em temas de política externa das Legislaturas 1994-1998, 1998-2002 e 2002-2006 da Câmara dos Deputados do Chile. Após construir um mapa espacial das preferências dos deputados chilenos em política externa, por meio da utilização do programa estatístico NOMINATE, concluo que a ideologia do partido político do legislador é fator preditivo de seu comportamento em política externa. Os achados indicam que o pressuposto da não manifestação das preferências dos legisladores latino-americanos em temas de política externa (abdicação) não encontra respaldo no caso chileno. Ademais, a comparação dos resultados obtidos nesta dissertação com outros estudos acerca da atuação legislativa na política doméstica chilena, evidenciou a similaridade entre ambos, sugerindo que os fatores que estruturam as decisões dos deputados em política doméstica não difere daqueles em política externa / The influence of partisan politics in congressmen decisions is a much debated issue in political science. With respect to foreign policy, usually considered above parties, the question appears even more inconclusive. This research analyses all roll-call foreign policy votes for the 1994-1998, 1998-2002 and 2002-2006 Legislatures of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile. After constructing a spatial map of deputies preferences in foreign policy through NOMINATE program, we conclude that the ideology of legislators political parties constrains their votes in foreign policy. Our findings indicate that the presupposition of the non-manifestation of Latin American legislators preferences regarding foreign policy (abdication) does not apply to the Chilean case. Furthermore, the comparison of these data with those of other researchers for the domestic policy in Chile reveals a strong similarity between them, indicating that the factors that influence the legislators choices are the same in foreign and domestic policies

The presented thesis mainly focuses on an analysis of twenty years of the politics of electoral reform in Czechoslovakia (1990-1992), on the federal level (the Federal Assembly), and the national level (the Czech National Council), respectively, and later on the politics of electoral reform in the Czech Republic, on the national level (the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic). First, the thesis discusses how and why electoral systems are chosen and changed. Recent analysis of the politics of electoral reform has yielded two main theoretical perspectives regarding the reforms of recent decades. The first one, the power-maximizing perspective, assumes that politicians control the choice of the electoral system and that they are motivated to maximize their power. The other perspective allows for a wider range of actors - in particular, including ordinary citizens as well as politicians - and sees electoral reform as the product of a mix of inherent and contingent factors. Reform can, under this approach, occur in response to specific instances of systemic failure. More recently, Alan Renwick (in 2010 and more precisely in 2011) seeks to develop a more refined understanding of electoral reform processes through two steps. At the outset, there is an acknowledgement that there are...

Les explications politiques de la fin de la monarchie de Juillet demandent à être reconsidérées. L’historiographie, s’appuyant sur les témoignages des acteurs qui l’ont combattue a insisté sur le refus du roi d’accorder la réforme électorale et parlementaire, refus appuyé par le cabinet ministériel dirigé par Guizot et par la Chambre des députés. La Charte de 1830 définissait le cadre d’un régime où le roi avait sa place et où le gouvernement devait chercher l’appui et le concours des chambres parlementaires. Dans ces conditions, le pouvoir exécutif devait obtenir l’assentiment des assemblées pour mener sa politique. Le refus de la réforme s’explique alors par l’obtention d’une majorité parlementaire acquise au gouvernement par des moyens peu avouables (élections manipulées, corruption, pressions de toutes sortes sur les députés) et la présence massive de députés fonctionnaires a priori dociles et obéissants. Était-ce vraiment le cas ? La dernière Chambre des députés élue en 1846 voit une victoire ministérielle incontestable plus fondée sur les effets du suffrage censitaire que par des manipulations. Le comportement de cette majorité durant cette courte législature révèle en fait que le cabinet s’occupa plus de composer avec les dissensions qui sont apparues en son sein que d’essayer de la diriger et de la dominer. En réalité, on en vient à se demander si Guizot, loin d’imposer son point de vue aux députés ministériels n’était pas en fin de compte le porte-parole de leurs aspirations conservatrices. / The political explanations for the downfall of the July monarchy require re-examination. Relying on testimonies from the politicians who battled against it, historiography gives preference to the king’s refusal of parliamentary and electoral reform, a refusal that was backed by the ministerial cabinet under the direction of Guizot and the Chamber of deputies. The Charter of 1830 laid the foundations of a regime with a place for the king, and where the government had to solicit the assistance and cooperation of the assemblies. In these conditions, in order to conduct its policies, the executive branch had to first obtain the consent of the assemblies. The refusal of reform is thus attributed to the government’s winning the parliamentary majority by dubious means (corruption, rigged elections, and putting deputies under pressure of all sorts) and the immense presence of bureaucrats who were assumed obedient and docile. Was this really the case? The monarchy’s last Chamber of deputies, elected in 1846, reached an incontestable ministerial victory, due more to the effects of censitary suffrage than rigging. The behavior of this majority over the short course of this term of office actually reveals that the cabinet was more concerned with dissent from within than it was with trying to lead and dominate it. By this one is led to wonder if Guizot, far from imposing his point of view on ministerial deputies, wasn’t actually the spokesperson for their conservative aspirations.

A criação de novas províncias no Brasil Império não era algo simples nem tampouco rotineiro. Envolvia um processo complexo que, atravessando diversas instâncias da administração imperial, levava ao plenário do parlamento reivindicações autonomistas de grupos políticos que, com maior ou menor poder de barganha na arena parlamentar possuíam interesses que passavam pela criação de uma unidade administrativa que significaria alguma autonomia para esta elite gerir seus próprios interesses. Embora exista uma quantidade razoável de pedidos neste sentido, o fato é que durante todo o século XIX apenas duas propostas alcançaram êxito: Amazonas (1850) e Paraná (1853). Separados pela distância e envoltos em contextos regionais diferentes, estes projetos foram os únicos que conseguiram aglutinar em torno de si apoio político suficiente para permitir sua aprovação. Para isso contaram com situações extraordinárias que fizeram com que projetos locais fossem debatidos como políticas nacionais, tais como a ocorrência de levantes amados, de contestações de fronteiras e a existência de complicadas questões envolvendo as relações externas do país. Esta pesquisa objetiva analisar as discussões que se deram em torno de tais políticas no parlamento brasileiro. Vários elementos estiveram articulados neste debate: os interesses das elites provinciais, a necessidade de um Estado mais efetivo para negociar a ordem interna e problemas relativos à política externa, pois estavam em jogo as relações com os países vizinhos. Fatores estes que exigiam soluções dotadas de um equilíbrio do qual dependia a sobrevivência de um Estado em construção na contingência de redividir administrativamente seu território. / The creation of new provinces in the Empire of Brazil was not simple. It envolved a complex process across multiple instances of the central administration which led to the plenary of the Parliament autonomist demands of political groups which, with bigger or less bargaining power in the parliamentary arena, had interests that passed through the creation of a administrative unit, which would mean some autonomy to manage their own interests and needs. Although there is a reasonable amount of such requests, the fact is that througout the nineteenth century only two proposals have suceeded: Amazonas (1850) and Paraná (1853). Separated by distance and wrapped in different regional contexts, these projects were the only ones who managed to unite around him enough political support to enable this adoption. This thanks to extraordinary situations that have caused local projects were discussed as national policies, such as the ocurrence of armed movements, bordes disputes and the existence of complicated issues involving foreign relations. This work aims to analyse the debates that took place in the Brazilian Parliament around such policies. Several elements have been articulated in these discussions. The interests of the provincial elites, the need of a more effective State to manage the problems of internal order and foreign policy, as it was at risk the relations with neighboring countries. Factors that demanded solutions with a balance of which depended the survival of a State under construction in administrative contingency redivide its territory.

Diploma thesis Social networks and election to Chamber of Deputies in year 2010 covers activities of political parties on internet social networks such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The thesis also covers some civic engagements, which intervened electoral campaign and later influenced people decision in election to the Parliament of Czech republic. The first part describes how political parties, which has entered the Chamber of Deputies, used potential of social networks in campaign and how their activities differed from party to party and also by social networks. The thesis discovers how political parties saw campaign on social networks and which forms of promotion they used. Second part is about activities of civic engagements on social networks and about their influence on results of the election. Diploma thesis discovers if their success depended on social networks. In the last part of the thesis, a research was made on a group of users of social networks. It analysed the influence of political parties' campaigns on social networks and also civic engagements on the results of this parliamentary election.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Nesta dissertação, o objetivo é avaliar o comportamento dos membros da Câmara dos Deputados frente às propostas desenvolvimentistas durante o governo de Juscelino Kubitschek. Atualmente, muito se discute sobre o papel do Legislativo durante o período de auge do desenvolvimentismo no Brasil. Se as interpretações clássicas apontavam o Executivo como núcleo decisório, reinterpretações têm emergido em direção à hipótese de que o Congresso não esteve excluído desse processo. Dessa forma, as decisões concernentes a políticas desenvolvimentistas não apenas teriam sido expressão do Executivo, mas também das maiorias congressistas. O mecanismo pelo qual isso teria se tornado possível foi o de delegação de poder. De modo a reassegurar a presença de uma maioria desenvolvimentista na Câmara dos Deputados, o trabalho analisará o posicionamento de congressistas quanto a votações de conteúdo desenvolvimentista ao longo da fase de ápice das controvérsias do desenvolvimento brasileiro, com maior ênfase no período do governo de Juscelino Kubitschek. Tais votações serão catalogadas após exposições a respeito de questões relacionadas com o desenvolvimentismo e serão selecionadas pelo seu conteúdo. Os temas considerados mais importantes são: política alfandegária, infraestrutura, integração regional, isenções, subsídios e crédito. / In this work, the objective is to evaluate the behavior of members of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil in the face of developmentalist proposals during the Kubitschek government. Currently, there is much discussion about the role of the Congress during the heyday of developmentalism in Brazil. If the classical interpretations pointed to the Executive as the core decision-making, interpretations have emerged toward the hypothesis that the Congress was not excluded from this process. Thus, decisions concerning developmentalist policies have not only been an expression of the Executive, but also of congressional majorities. The mechanism by which this would become possible was the delegation of power. In order to reassure the presence of a developmentalist majority in the Chamber of Deputies, this paper will analyze the position of Congress in relation to votes of developmentalist content during the heyday of the controversies of Brazilian development, with greater emphasis on the period of Kubitschek. These votes will be cataloged after exposures on issues related to developmentalism and will be selected for their content. The issues considered most important are: customs policy, infrastructure, regional integration, exemptions, subsidies and credit.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Nesta dissertação, o objetivo é avaliar o comportamento dos membros da Câmara dos Deputados frente às propostas desenvolvimentistas durante o governo de Juscelino Kubitschek. Atualmente, muito se discute sobre o papel do Legislativo durante o período de auge do desenvolvimentismo no Brasil. Se as interpretações clássicas apontavam o Executivo como núcleo decisório, reinterpretações têm emergido em direção à hipótese de que o Congresso não esteve excluído desse processo. Dessa forma, as decisões concernentes a políticas desenvolvimentistas não apenas teriam sido expressão do Executivo, mas também das maiorias congressistas. O mecanismo pelo qual isso teria se tornado possível foi o de delegação de poder. De modo a reassegurar a presença de uma maioria desenvolvimentista na Câmara dos Deputados, o trabalho analisará o posicionamento de congressistas quanto a votações de conteúdo desenvolvimentista ao longo da fase de ápice das controvérsias do desenvolvimento brasileiro, com maior ênfase no período do governo de Juscelino Kubitschek. Tais votações serão catalogadas após exposições a respeito de questões relacionadas com o desenvolvimentismo e serão selecionadas pelo seu conteúdo. Os temas considerados mais importantes são: política alfandegária, infraestrutura, integração regional, isenções, subsídios e crédito. / In this work, the objective is to evaluate the behavior of members of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil in the face of developmentalist proposals during the Kubitschek government. Currently, there is much discussion about the role of the Congress during the heyday of developmentalism in Brazil. If the classical interpretations pointed to the Executive as the core decision-making, interpretations have emerged toward the hypothesis that the Congress was not excluded from this process. Thus, decisions concerning developmentalist policies have not only been an expression of the Executive, but also of congressional majorities. The mechanism by which this would become possible was the delegation of power. In order to reassure the presence of a developmentalist majority in the Chamber of Deputies, this paper will analyze the position of Congress in relation to votes of developmentalist content during the heyday of the controversies of Brazilian development, with greater emphasis on the period of Kubitschek. These votes will be cataloged after exposures on issues related to developmentalism and will be selected for their content. The issues considered most important are: customs policy, infrastructure, regional integration, exemptions, subsidies and credit.

A criação de novas províncias no Brasil Império não era algo simples nem tampouco rotineiro. Envolvia um processo complexo que, atravessando diversas instâncias da administração imperial, levava ao plenário do parlamento reivindicações autonomistas de grupos políticos que, com maior ou menor poder de barganha na arena parlamentar possuíam interesses que passavam pela criação de uma unidade administrativa que significaria alguma autonomia para esta elite gerir seus próprios interesses. Embora exista uma quantidade razoável de pedidos neste sentido, o fato é que durante todo o século XIX apenas duas propostas alcançaram êxito: Amazonas (1850) e Paraná (1853). Separados pela distância e envoltos em contextos regionais diferentes, estes projetos foram os únicos que conseguiram aglutinar em torno de si apoio político suficiente para permitir sua aprovação. Para isso contaram com situações extraordinárias que fizeram com que projetos locais fossem debatidos como políticas nacionais, tais como a ocorrência de levantes amados, de contestações de fronteiras e a existência de complicadas questões envolvendo as relações externas do país. Esta pesquisa objetiva analisar as discussões que se deram em torno de tais políticas no parlamento brasileiro. Vários elementos estiveram articulados neste debate: os interesses das elites provinciais, a necessidade de um Estado mais efetivo para negociar a ordem interna e problemas relativos à política externa, pois estavam em jogo as relações com os países vizinhos. Fatores estes que exigiam soluções dotadas de um equilíbrio do qual dependia a sobrevivência de um Estado em construção na contingência de redividir administrativamente seu território. / The creation of new provinces in the Empire of Brazil was not simple. It envolved a complex process across multiple instances of the central administration which led to the plenary of the Parliament autonomist demands of political groups which, with bigger or less bargaining power in the parliamentary arena, had interests that passed through the creation of a administrative unit, which would mean some autonomy to manage their own interests and needs. Although there is a reasonable amount of such requests, the fact is that througout the nineteenth century only two proposals have suceeded: Amazonas (1850) and Paraná (1853). Separated by distance and wrapped in different regional contexts, these projects were the only ones who managed to unite around him enough political support to enable this adoption. This thanks to extraordinary situations that have caused local projects were discussed as national policies, such as the ocurrence of armed movements, bordes disputes and the existence of complicated issues involving foreign relations. This work aims to analyse the debates that took place in the Brazilian Parliament around such policies. Several elements have been articulated in these discussions. The interests of the provincial elites, the need of a more effective State to manage the problems of internal order and foreign policy, as it was at risk the relations with neighboring countries. Factors that demanded solutions with a balance of which depended the survival of a State under construction in administrative contingency redivide its territory.

The thesis deals with activities of Czech parliamentary parties during EU-affairs discussion in the Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of the Czech Republic. The main focus is on three characteristic features of political parties during their activities on the parliamentary level: stability (rhetorical, voting, and programmatic), use of parliamentary oversight tools, and fulfilling their systemic function. The parties are seen through the prism of behavioural approach. EU-affairs are a rather new topic with a variable salience for national parties. EU-affairs influence party competition in extra-parliamentary arena. Conflict, however non-salient topics in parliamentary arena are ousted by governmental parties in order for them to keep governmental stability. The parties do not act according to their party manifestoes (low level of Europeanization); instead, their voting behaviour indicates that the parties follow logic of parliamentary competition between government and opposition. Parliamentarization of EU governance (engagement of national parliaments in broader institutional setting of the EU) leads to spreading of party competition on the national level to a new policy area. Political parties use tools of parliamentary scrutiny in a rather limited extent and according to their actual position within the system. The thesis also deals with party nomination and composition of the Committee on European affairs which holds oversight powers. The empirical analysis is based on the analysis of voting behaviour of parliamentary party groups (roll-call data), stenographic records, Committee and plenary session resolutions and quantitative analysis of composition of the Committee.