New research reveals how party leaders strategically use legislative committees as training grounds for their backbenchers.

Setting The Stage

This study turns a spotlight on parliamentary debates, highlighting their real-world purpose beyond reputation management and coalition politics. Existing theories often overlook the essential need for information expertise in these settings.

The Core Argument: Committees as Training Arenas

Party leaders intentionally assign members to committees precisely because those members develop specialized knowledge that makes them valuable during debates. Legislators aren't just politicians—they're also trained experts who shape legislative discourse through their unique insights.

Testing With Portugal's Parliament

We examine how government dynamics and party size influence this expert reliance in Portugal's legislature between 2000-2015. Our analysis uses innovative text-based classification methods to identify specialized expertise contributions within debates.

The Verdict: Committees Shape Debate Outcomes

The evidence shows committee assignments directly affect debate quality and outcomes, with trained experts playing a pivotal role in legislative effectiveness.