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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 January 2009
Studies of legislatures in developing countries have to contend with a great deal of cynicism owing, in part, to a political controversy concerning the role of the legislative institution in the Third World. The executive branch, which is generally dominant in developing nations, often uses the legislature to legitimize executive actions. Legislators who agree to serve the executive in this fashion often exaggerate or misrepresent the importance of the legislature in their political system. Conversely, opposition groups, who are frequently excluded from the political process in Third World countries, denigrate the role of legislatures and often exaggerate their ineffectiveness. Scholars have mostly ingnored the role of legislatures in the process of development.
Author's Note: A Ford Foundation grant made it possible for the author to complete this article under the auspices of the Comparative Development Studies Center at the State University of New York at Albany. I am grateful for the advice and cooperation I received from CDSC director, Dr. Abdo I. Baaklini. For the research I did in Jordan I owe much to the generous assistance of Professor Kamel S. Abu Jaber, former Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Commerce at the University of Jordan and to Mr. Adnan Ba'youn, General Secretary of the National Consultative Council of Jordan.
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33 The incident occurred on March 15, 1979, and rumors circulated about the possible causes of the crash.
34 While discussing the proposed 1980 budget, National Consultative Council members voiced concern over bureaucratic misuse of funds and the lack of legislative means to audit government spending.
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