Pressure-induced legislation occasioned by media discourse is actually the result of an information deficit on the part of legislators. If legislators' information competency fails to meet the knowledge challenges of...Pressure-induced legislation occasioned by media discourse is actually the result of an information deficit on the part of legislators. If legislators' information competency fails to meet the knowledge challenges of the modem legal system and its activities, they will be powerless to resist the infiltration of media discourse. The result is that legislative activities are inextricably intertwined with the media; once a particular social issue is catapulted on to the media agenda, legislators have no choice but to fall into line, creating the phenomenon of pressure-induced legislation. The essential characteristic of law is its inherent constancy and stability, whereas pressure-induced legislation often loses the calmness, objectivity, prudence and comprehensiveness proper to law. Such legislative decision-making runs counter to the inherently rational mechanism of legislation and produces unfair and ineffective redistributive results. Pressure-induced legislation highlights the importance of information in public policy choices and institution design. It would be desirable for the whole legal system aimed at evaluating legislative performance to be introduced so as to provide legislators with a sufficient incentive to remodel their information competency and ensure the scientific nature and rationality of legislation.展开更多
文摘Pressure-induced legislation occasioned by media discourse is actually the result of an information deficit on the part of legislators. If legislators' information competency fails to meet the knowledge challenges of the modem legal system and its activities, they will be powerless to resist the infiltration of media discourse. The result is that legislative activities are inextricably intertwined with the media; once a particular social issue is catapulted on to the media agenda, legislators have no choice but to fall into line, creating the phenomenon of pressure-induced legislation. The essential characteristic of law is its inherent constancy and stability, whereas pressure-induced legislation often loses the calmness, objectivity, prudence and comprehensiveness proper to law. Such legislative decision-making runs counter to the inherently rational mechanism of legislation and produces unfair and ineffective redistributive results. Pressure-induced legislation highlights the importance of information in public policy choices and institution design. It would be desirable for the whole legal system aimed at evaluating legislative performance to be introduced so as to provide legislators with a sufficient incentive to remodel their information competency and ensure the scientific nature and rationality of legislation.