Conclusion: Cohabitation and Policymaking in Comparative Context

Abstract

This book emerged from the realization of a void in the literature on semi-presidentialism. Despite the vast number of publications that treat semi-presidential institutions as an independent variable, very few look at their effect on the policy process, and those that do either lack theoretical foundations or empirics. This lack of scholarly attention seems particularly puzzling, given the volume of research conducted on policymaking efficiency in the US presidential system, notably during periods of split-party government. Knowing to what extent the impact of US style divided government on policy processes and outputs carried over to cohabitation therefore imposed itself as a worthwhile and important object of study. This book aimed at treating this question comprehensively. In it, I presented a theory of the policymaking process that highlighted how the institutional mechanics of a split executive affected the crafting and enactment of major legislation. This theory was later supported using both qualitative and quantitative data on policymaking in France under periods of unified government and cohabitation.