The Speculative Imagination in Democratic Lawmaking

In his inaugural lecture Dr Jones explains that the speculative imagination is crucial to effective lawmaking in a democracy. There is no single institutional or structural formula for its realization. It can be achieved in a party government featuring strict accountability (as in a parliamentary system), but it may also be nurtured in a government of parties with diffused accountability (as in a separated powers system like that of the United States). Stalemate need not be the result of the separation of elections, the variability of term lengths, or split-party government. The independence of public roles in a government of parties can expand the speculative horizon and produce change not otherwise possible. However, leeway is vital for fostering competitive speculation whatever the governmental form, as is the commitment on the part of lawmakers to their public roles as representatives and speculators.