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Begin New Search Topic Legislation Journal Journal of Bhutan Studies

1. Gross National Happiness Policy Outputs in Bhutan from 1972 to 2014*

Author:
Michael Givel
Publication Date:
10-2023
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Bhutan Studies
Institution:
Centre for Bhutan & GNH Studies (CBS)
Abstract:
In 1972, Bhutan’s Fourth King declared Gross National Happiness (GNH) more important than Gross Domestic Product. But what was the nature of GNH legislation policy outputs before and after the adoption of the written 2008 Bhutanese Constitution that required that Bhutan to promote GNH as a national policy goal? This study examines from 1972 to 2014 (six years after the adoption of the Bhutan Constitution) GNH policy outputs. There were two stages related to Bhutan’s four pillars that include sustainable and equitable economic development, good governance, cultural preservation, and environmental protection. In the first stage lasting to the 1990s, Bhutanese policy outputs emphasized preserving traditional culture. In the second phase from the 1990s to 2014, Bhutanese policy outputs emphasized Buddhist modernism in which all four pillars balanced traditional Buddhist values with modern issues like health care and illiteracy.
Topic:
Culture, Constitution, History, Legislation, Public Policy, and Gross National Happiness (GNH)
Political Geography:
South Asia and Bhutan

2. The Legislative Capacity of a Small-State Parliament: An Analysis of the Parliament of Bhutan

Author:
Gerard W. Horgan
Publication Date:
05-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Journal of Bhutan Studies
Institution:
Centre for Bhutan & GNH Studies (CBS)
Abstract:
As part of its decades-long transition from absolute- to constitutional- monarchy, the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan in 2008 established a new, bicameral, parliament. Very little analysis has been conducted on this institution; this article begins to fill this lacuna by investigating the legislative potential of the parliament, and placing it in the comparative context of parliaments in other ‘small’ states. Embracing Arter’s distinction among studies of legislative capacity, operation and performance, the article pursues the former, using aspects of Lijphart’s work as an organizational framework. The analysis reveals a first chamber designed along majoritarian lines, and which, due to its small size, cannot be expected to exhibit great legislative capacity. However, it also reveals a second chamber that, while small, is both ‘symmetrical’ and ‘incongruent’, and that therefore greatly enhances the overall legislative capacity of the parliament, and boosts its comparative position among parliaments of small states.
Topic:
Governance, Legislation, and Parliament
Political Geography:
South Asia and Bhutan