On the Uneasy, Delicate, yet necessary relationships between parliamentary members and leaders

In this introductory essay, we catalogue briefly the roles of, first, parliamentary leaders and, following that, those of rank and file members; then consider the tools of influence available both to leaders and to members in their uneasy, delicate, yet absolutely necessary mutual relationships. Following this exploration of the delicate balance between parliamentary members and leaders, we introduce the nine original explorations of various aspects of these uneasy relationships contained in this publication, authored by 12 scholars from seven countries of the world. The relationships between parliamentary members and leaders, we conclude, are the result of behavioural strategies driven by the distinctive preferences of members and leaders and are shaped by the rules and structures of institution and polity.