Description:The oversight of the executive is a key function of parliament, and is central to the relationship between branches of government. Recently, however, the influence of parliament on policymaking has been diluted. This book plots trends in parliaments across Europe to illustrate points of convergence and divergence. It compares the tools and methods developed by parliaments to bolster their crucial oversight role, and it demonstrates that oversight of the executive itself – more than lawmaking – is the pivotal dimension of parliaments in Europe for regaining their spheres of influence and democratic control over decision-making.Volume 4 in the series Parliamentary Democracy in Europe