2.7 Independent Legislatures

Russia's State Duma was elected on 18–20 September 2026, and United Russia won 349 of the 450 seats, well over the two-thirds needed to pass constitutional amendments in the Duma. In the UK, the House of Lords lost its last hereditary members in April 2026 (see 2.6).

• Lawmaking: amending or rejecting the executive's bills.
• Budget control: approving, cutting or refusing spending.
• Oversight: questioning ministers, holding hearings and running committee investigations.
• Confirmation: approving appointments, like Nigeria's Senate confirming ministers.
• Removal: votes of no confidence or impeachment.

UK: Ministers face questions in the Commons, and the prime minister answers questions every Wednesday the House sits. Select committees, whose chairs are elected by MPs, investigate government departments. Government MPs sometimes rebel, and the government can lose votes. The Lords amends bills and sends them back.

Mexico: Since the PRI lost its majority in 1997, Congress has become a real arena. Presidents without a majority had to negotiate. When the president's party and allies hold large majorities, as Morena and its allies have since 2018, Congress becomes much less of a check.

Nigeria: The National Assembly has rejected nominees, delayed budgets and clashed with presidents, though members also depend on party leaders and patronage.

Russia: United Russia has held a majority in the Duma since 2003, and it kept a large majority in the September 2026 election. The Duma rarely blocks the president's priorities.

Iran: The Majles debates actively, approves the cabinet and has impeached ministers, so it does constrain the president. But the Guardian Council can reject its bills, and it can't challenge the Supreme Leader.

China: The National People's Congress passes nearly everything the party proposes, usually by huge margins. A few “no” votes or abstentions can signal unhappiness, but they don't change outcomes. Its Standing Committee does the detailed work.

Look for competitive elections that let opposition parties win seats, real committee power, control over the budget and the absence of an outside body that can veto the legislature. Strict party discipline cuts both ways: it lets UK governments pass laws, but it also means a government with a big majority rarely loses.

Independence can also change over time. Mexico's Congress mostly approved the president's plans during PRI dominance, became an active check during divided government after 1997, and has checked the president less when one coalition holds large majorities. Party control, not just formal rules, shapes a legislature's power.

Legislatures can also strengthen a regime's legitimacy and stability. They do it by responding to public demands, debating policy in the open, brokering compromise between factions, extending civil liberties and limiting the executive.