Abstract

In this article, we describe the effects of strong nonpartisan legislative offices on the procedures and outcomes of the parliaments they serve. We consider four disciplinary approaches used to provide legislatures with information and analysis independent from the executive: the law, the budget, the management and the policy perspectives. We highlight how these competencies and their advice intervene in the pre-legislative scrutiny and in the post-legislative oversight. Our comparative analysis includes United States, United Kingdom, and Italy. The results confirm the substantial indifference to the policy analysis and program evaluation by the Italian parliament.