The design of a legislative chamber should serve two functions: it should help citizens understand who stands for what in political conflicts, and it should enable deputies to hold a government accountable with maximum publicity. How does India's new parliament building measure up?
PRINCETON – Is there an ideal design for parliament buildings and legislative chambers? The question seems abstract, but it comes up surprisingly often as a very concrete challenge. It arose in the 1990s, when Scotland needed an assembly following decentralization in the United Kingdom. It also appears when countries – including Brazil in the 1950s, Nigeria in the 1980s, and Indonesia today – construct new capital cities. And it may emerge when a country decides – as India recently did – that a new parliament building can distance it from the legacy of colonialism.
PRINCETON – Is there an ideal design for parliament buildings and legislative chambers? The question seems abstract, but it comes up surprisingly often as a very concrete challenge. It arose in the 1990s, when Scotland needed an assembly following decentralization in the United Kingdom. It also appears when countries – including Brazil in the 1950s, Nigeria in the 1980s, and Indonesia today – construct new capital cities. And it may emerge when a country decides – as India recently did – that a new parliament building can distance it from the legacy of colonialism.