What explains the apparent negative agenda power of governing coalitions in Italy?
Governing parties in Italy saw their bills pass with a nearly zero roll rate, lower than opposition's average 20%. Even after controlling for vote dispersion from floor medians, opposition maintained higher rates. This suggests government control over legislative agendas benefits them.
Specifically, decree-conversion and budget bills faced stronger opposition roll calls compared to ordinary bills—a pattern consistent with theoretical analysis of these procedures' unique characteristics.
These findings challenge the conventional view that governing coalitions automatically enjoy agenda dominance.
