abstract
- © 2022 Southern Political Science Association. All rights reserved.What explains legislative effectiveness in multiparty presidential systems? We explore the role of the president in a multiparty legislature without a majority party and develop several theoretical expectations regarding ties to the president¿s party, the role of opposition parties, and the importance of controlling certain committees to explain legislative effectiveness. Drawing upon data from the Mexican Chamber of Deputies and a new measure of legislative effectiveness adaptable to other legislatures, we argue that legislators who share partisanship with the president are often constrained by the executive branch. Thus, legislators from governing parties are generally less effective when it comes to their own legislative initiatives. Deputies from opposition parties do not face these same restrictions, and consequently, are generally more effective at navigating their own proposals through the legislative process. These findings extend to the committee level.