Bicameralism and Policy Responsiveness to Public Opinion

Does the organization of the assembly affect whether governments deliver policy that reflects the changing preferences of the public? Cross-national analyses of public opinion and policy outputs, for welfare policies and immigration policies, show that governments respond to shifts in public opinion in systems with a dominant chamber but not where bicameralism is strong. Our theory’s emphasis on the distribution of power between chambers further explains differences within bicameral systems: constraints on policy change mean that responsiveness is weaker where power is equally distributed between chambers but more robust where power is concentrated in the lower house. Evidence from institutional change in Belgium, where the fourth State Reform shifted power away from the senate and disproportionately toward the lower house, provides corroborating evidence that policy becomes more responsive when constitutions concentrate legislative power. Study findings have implications for our understanding of how bicameralism matters for government responsiveness to public opinion.