Navigating the Crossroads of Behavioural Policy and Parliamentary Storytelling: A New Era of Legislative Studies
Written on September, 2021
Introduction
The concept of Parliamentary Storytelling, coined by Alex Prior, signifies a crucial advancement in the realm of legislative studies. A careful analysis of Prior's work offers an extensive insight into the intersection of behavioural policy within the executive branch of the UK government and the discipline of Parliamentary Storytelling, presenting a profound shift in academic and institutional perspectives towards understanding parliamentary procedures and traditions.
The Segregation of Legislative Studies
Prior's observations highlight the prevalent isolation of legislative studies from other theoretical frameworks, particularly within the UK context. A propensity for procedural and legalistic interpretations has resulted in the lack of exploration of potential synergies, such as those between behavioural policy-making and Parliamentary Storytelling. Despite this historical segregation, the unfolding of diverse interdisciplinary approaches appears to offer an exciting landscape for the exploration of representative democracy.
The traditional understanding of parliament, primarily viewed as an ancient institution reliant on legacy and narratives, often lacks a comprehensive internal dialogue to define its existential purpose. This analytical void leaves parliamentarians and parliamentary staff struggling to define the institutional role and relevance of the parliament, even though they are intrinsically aware of its significance. The push towards encouraging a greater sense of academic interdisciplinarity is crucial in catalysing more in-depth institutional dialogue and fostering a comprehensive understanding of parliament's core functions.
Unravelling the Potential of Personal Testimony
An often-underestimated aspect of parliamentary activities is the rich vein of information found in personal testimonies. Traditionally, there is a dichotomy in the perception of input as either anecdote or data, reflecting a limited perspective that may impede the richness of input. The recognition and acceptance of personal stories and life experiences can play a significant role in providing parliamentarians with insightful understanding and realistic public priorities, thereby bridging the gap between the parliamentary procedures and the electorate.
Digital technologies have proven instrumental in welcoming a broader spectrum of society into the legislative process. While it does not completely mitigate the issues caused by the prevailing and potentially widening digital divide in the UK, it offers an effective means of integrating valuable evidence and testimonies from diverse sections of society.
Institutional Communication: Struggles and Potential Remedies
One of the most significant challenges facing parliaments today is their struggle to effectively communicate their institutional roles and activities to the public. This communication failure not only impacts public perception of parliamentary proceedings but also reciprocally influences parliamentary activities based on these perceptions, potentially inducing inefficiencies in the legislative process.
Parliamentary staff can play a pivotal role in improving this aspect, weaving compelling narratives that accurately depict the functions and history of these pivotal institutions. While traditionally MPs have taken on the task of engaging citizens in their work, it is becoming increasingly apparent that an institutional-level approach to citizen engagement could potentially be more effective and less conflicting.
However, this shift in citizen engagement strategies necessitates a reflective dialogue and a re-evaluation of traditional roles within the institution, given the territorial nature of these roles.
Conclusion
The examination of Parliamentary Storytelling represents an innovative analytical lens through which legislative studies can be re-evaluated. This innovative perspective, pioneered by Alex Prior, offers valuable insights into how parliament can benefit from adopting interdisciplinary approaches, integrating personal testimonies into the legislative process, and refining its communication strategies.
This approach emphasises the need for critical reflection within the institution to re-define roles and promote effective dialogue. It underscores the importance of collaboratively examining and understanding the workings of representative democracy at this critical time, making it an exciting and crucial era for both academics and parliamentarians.