Final answer:
Legislatures have the discretion to enact laws, subject to their own procedural rules and influenced by their systems of government.
The democratic process allows for a transparent debate in contrast to less independent authoritarian legislatures. Additionally, in the U.S., the judiciary plays a key role in law-making through binding judicial decisions within a common law system.
Step-by-step explanation:
Parliaments and legislatures have wide discretion to do as they see fit in matters of law-making, which allows them to create mould-breaking law, unconstrained by their own precedential histories. These bodies have the power to establish their own rules for conducting business and have grown complex over time.
The process of debate and law-making in legislatures is indicative of the dynamic and representative nature of democratic regimes, contrasting with the less independent legislative bodies found in authoritarian systems.
Modern legislation has evolved, and party leadership now plays a significant role in the control of bills, using mechanisms such as omnibus bills to enact comprehensive policy changes.
Organizing the Legislature's Work
Legislatures have a set of parliamentary procedures governing the structure of debate. These include the right of the minority to speak, the guarantee of a vote for every member, and addressing only one piece of business at a time. In democratic systems, this allows for an inclusive and transparent law-making process.
The Courts and Public Policy
The U.S. operates under a common law system where judicial decisions are binding, thus playing a vital role in the law-making process through case-by-case rulings and interpretations. This is in contrast to code law systems that provide detailed laws with less room for judicial input.