Candidate Selection and a Crowded Parliament: The Israeli Knesset, 1988–2006

Abstract

Candidate selection reform has its consequences. This article examines Israel as a case study in order to understand the changes in parliamentary activity (legislation, parliamentary questions and motions for the agenda) that resulted from the adoption of primaries as a candidate selection reform by the Labour Party in 1992 and later by three more parties: Likud, Meretz and Tzomet. The findings show that there has been a significant increase in parliamentary activity since the 13th Knesset (the first Knesset with Members of Knesset elected through primaries). The research hypothesises that posited reasons for the difference in parliamentary activities in the Knesset terms before and after the introduction of primaries were strongly supported.

Keywords:

• candidate selection
• candidate selection reforms
• parliamentary activity
• Israel

Notes

For more information regarding the direct election for Prime Minister in Israel see Hazan (1999).

For more information see Bar (1996).

We interviewed just those MPs who were not ministers or deputy ministers in order to investigate the parliamentary activity generated by ordinary MKs.

We tried to measure the exact number of months for each session but were unable to find complete data. Therefore, we used an approximate index.

During the 15th Knesset, two different governments ruled. From 1999 to 2001, the Labour party was part of the coalition while the Likud party was in opposition. From 2001 to 2003, the Likud party became the coalition leader. MPs from both parties changed their positions during one term, a change we see reflected in the fourth session of the 15th Knesset.