Political Control and Parliamentary Committees of Inquiry: Strengthening the Quality of Democracy

Abstract

In Austria and Germany’s parliamentary system, committees of inquiry represent the most comprehensive political control instruments. With the help of these committees, members of parliament can gain precise insight into the work of the government. These insights are necessary when suspicious cases are brought to public attention, from which the government’s actions and the abuse of power come to light. Based on a first-ever qualitative case study of investigative committees in Austria and Germany, this article focuses on the results of these parliamentary committees. By scrutinizing these authorities and institutions, the members of parliament acquire extensive knowledge of the actions. This assists in reforms and leads to innovative effects on the democratic quality of the political systems. By comparing these results and with the help of the central analytical framework of Hans Joachim Lauth’s 15-field matrix, this study discovers that committees of inquiry can influence all areas of politics, law, and society. This influence occurs primarily through knowledge generation on real political processes, and provides a significant contribution to knowledge democracy.