Legislatures at Work



Ukraine’s Parliament Brawling Again

Who doesn't love a good policy fight?   This one's mostly just a big scrum with guys trying to push each other around, and so it's not nearly as entertaining as their 2010 fight that involved smoke bombs, eggs, and…


How South Korean Legislators Spend Their Time When Not Brawling

Our South Korean correspondent sent in a link to this page, which appeared on a website there earlier this year and reportedly shows members of the legislature engaging in something other than official business while in the chamber. For example: More…


“Let My People Go!”

I don't think the reference to Exodus here is really on point, but I'm willing to cut this guy a fair amount of slack. Reportedly, what he's yelling about (and he is yelling, so watch the volume if you're at work)…


Does Congress Need to Be Held Back a Grade?

There are various software tools available that will let you determine the "grade level" and/or complexity of a particular piece of text. The Sunlight Foundation ran a couple of decades' worth of the Congressional Record through one of them, and the…


Last Call in the House of Commons?

I mentioned back in 2008 that the drunken-legislator problem in Australia had gotten to the point that some were calling for members of Parliament to be subjected to periodic breath tests. At least two MPs had been forced to resign…


Man Ticketed After Cat Won’t Jog

One reason dogs are (arguably) better than cats: you can take them out jogging. According to the Boulder Daily Camera, a 19-year-old man was ticketed in nearby Lafayette, Colorado, last week "on suspicion of tethering his cat to a rock after…