This book is a collection of scholarly studies of legislatures around the world. The goal of the book is that legislatures can learn from each other. There are global lessons to be found in the legislative process.
Among the universal traits is that the number of issues facing all legislatures is greater than there is time to look at each. One of the important decision each legislature faces is how to create a process that best handles this. Understanding this process tell us much about what type of legislature that exists. Who gets noticed and who gets ignored tells much about that government's societal power structure.
Nearly every legislature has to develop rules and procedures and to decide how to handle constituents. Further universal concerns include how legislators are selected, how they may retain office, and whether or not legislators should be career professionals. We also learn American legislators tend to have greater resources than legislatures elsewhere. Further, turnover amongst American legislators generally is less than turnover elsewhere.
Readers should develop an appreciation for the difficulties legislators face in different countries. One researcher claims it generally is in America where political institutions are created and improved and then the rest of the world tends to learn from American experiences. We need to go a good job, not only for our citizens, yet as an example for the rest of the world.