USAID"s experience strengthening legislatures

This document provides an overview of USAID"s experience in legislative strengthening. It describes what the Agency has done and is now doing to promote responsive and effective legislatures. Most importantly, it highlights ways in which improved legislative performance has strengthened democracy in all regions of the world. It does not, however, evaluate the relative merits or costs and benefits of the various approaches. Key findings are noted below. Legislative strengthening activities, much like legislatures themselves, often follow a long and arduous path, with numerous setbacks. Legislatures almost always inherit a position of weakness vis-a-vis the executive. Given this situation, USAID emphasizes programming opportunities in areas where legislatures serve as decision-making and implementation points for key reforms, such as anti-corruption, economic reform, constitutional development, rule of law, greater government transparency and accountability, and civil society promotion. As a part of this effort, USAID will continue to focus on assisting legislatures to represent their citizens effectively. Other emerging areas of emphasis are likely to include assisting provincial or other sub-national legislative bodies, promoting the legislature"s oversight role in national anti-corruption efforts, and strengthening the relationship of legislative party caucuses to party leadership structures. Continuing areas of assistance will include improving legislatures" role in the formulation of policy and legislation, strengthening their influence and control over the budget, and enhancing their ability to conduct oversight. To address more effectively the difficult process of legislative strengthening and reform, and the complex and sensitive nature of legislative assistance, USAID is making increasing use of strategic assessments and evaluation. These assessments and evaluations have become more sophisticated, resulting in better information on the type and design of assistance program that is most likely to be successful under a particular circumstance. Assessments and evaluations have also increased the knowledge of how to sequence and structure legislative programming to achieve maximum impact. USAID has contributed significantly to strengthening legislatures in countries making the difficult transition from authoritarian to democratic rule. This assistance has helped to strengthen the ties among legislatures, parties, and constituents; integrate legislatures into the policymaking process; and enable legislatures to exercise oversight and ensure the effective implementation of law and policy by the executive. Despite these gains, the United States should be modest in its expectations about the progress of the legislatures it assists, remembering that it took well over a century for the U.S. Congress itself to fully evolve and develop. Includes references.