The effectiveness of such committees and of legislators generally is
also related to the number of support staff and ancillary facilities
available. The US Congress has a wealth of these. Congress employs
thousands of administrators, researchers and clerks as well as having
a library which contains virtually all copyrighted material published
in the United States and much material from overseas. The European
Parliament is also well staffed – although part of the staffing is
explained by the requirements of translation and operating in both
Brussels and Strasbourg. In contrast MPs at Westminster until
recently found it difficult to obtain even a desk for themselves, but do
now have better office facilities in an expensive new building and an
annual allowance sufficient to employ a handful of staff. Elected
representatives have increasingly become professional politicians.
Historically the Anglo-American principle of ‘no taxation with-
out representation’ has been of great importance in establishing
legislative power over the executive. The need for the executive to
apply for annual approval for most of its expenditure still dominates
the legislative calendar in the UK with many key debates being on
‘Supply Days’. However, detailed financial review now mainly takes
place in Select Committees and the existence of a more or less
automatic government legislative majority has weakened the
effective financial power of Parliament over the executive. In the US
there is a much more even struggle for control over budgetary
matters, with Congress extracting political concessions on a regular
basis in exchange for appropriations. It is worth remarking that the
European Parliament has now achieved and asserted more control
over the European Union budget than in the past – thus marking a
movement toward full legislative status.
Legislative oversight and investigation of the activities of the
executive varies in extent, depth and form. Parliamentary systems
have the advantage that ministers as members of the legislature
are in daily contact with ‘backbench’ MPs. In the UK particularly there
is a well-developed tradition of oral questions to ministers (including
the prime minister) from MPs in full sessions (‘on the floor’) of the
House of Commons. In contrast in the United States the president
normally only appears once a year to give the State of the Nation
Address. However, US congressional committee investigations are
probably more probing than those of Westminster (where the govern-
ment has a built-in majority on each committee) and the president
faces frequent media interrogation at press conferences.178 DEMOCRACY