ISSUES IN APPRAISING THE IMPACT OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLIES IN EMERGING DEMOCRACIES

Abstract

This article examines the basic issues in appraising the effectiveness of legislative assemblies of emerging democracies using Nigeria as a case study with the aim of therewith enhancing a better understanding of legislative work and engendering grounds for further research into legislative processes and work in these countries. Four issues identified and examined revolve around the concept of legislative process; the problem of defining the goals of the appraisal, the factors which affect the effectiveness of legislative processes, and a rudimentary assessment of the performance level of the Nigerian National Assembly. It was discovered that using these issues as units of analysis will normally reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the legislative processes in focus, enabling the repositioning of legislative business for the ‘peace, order and good government’ of the nation. The article concludes by suggesting the institutionalization of routine generation of legislative data to enable more empirical studies of legislative processes in emerging democracies.