Contents Page of Constitutions, Elections and Legislatures of Poland, 1493-1993 by Jacek Jędruch (1997) Chapter II of this Book Book Chapters Home Page Info-Poland Home Page FOREWORD by Norman Davies PREFACE TO ORIGINAL EDITION PREFACE TO REVISED EDITION INTRODUCTION Polish Legislative Nomenclature, Geography and Chronology Chapter I HEREDITARY MONARCHY: KINGS FACE ELECTIVE LEGISLATURES Charters and the Early Laws: The Origins of the Constitution Seymik: The Basic Unit of Legislature General Seymiks and the Provincial Seyms The Early Seyms and the Laws They Made Seyms Demand "Execution of the Laws" Political Personalities in Seyms of the Hereditary Kingdom Chapter II MONARCHY BECOMES THE FIRST REPUBLIC: KINGS ELECTED FOR LIFE Seyms Claim King-Making Powers Pacta Conventa and the Rokosz, or Legalized Rebellion Cities Elect Representatives: "Civitatum Nuntii" Peripatetic Seym and the Places Where It Met Senate as "Guardians of the Law" Political Personalities in the Seyms of the Early First Republic Chapter III FIRST REPUBLIC UNDER FIRE: SEYMS AND CONFEDERATIONS Fire Test of the System and the Aborted Reform Procedures and Efficiency of the Seyms Confederation in Constitutional Practice in Poland The Seym and the Cossack Question State Within a State: The Jewish Representation Political Personalities in the Seyms of the First Republic Chapter IV DECAY AND REFORM: ABSOLUTIST NEIGHBORS STEP IN FOR THE KILL Executive vs. the Legislature: The Stalemate of the Saxon Era On the Road to Constitutional Reform Ink and Quill in the Service of Reform The Constitution of 1791 The Defense of the Constitution and Its Downfall Political Personalities in Seyms of the Reform Era Chapter V PARTITIONS: POLISH LEGISLATURES UNDER FOREIGN ABSOLUTISM The Napoleonic Touch: Seym of the Duchy of Warsaw Political Personalities in the Seym of the Duchy of Warsaw The Seym of Warsaw: Polish Legislature Confronts the Tsars Political Personalities in Seyms of the Congress Kingdom The Seym of Poznań: Polish Nationality at Bay Political Personalities of the Seym of Poznań Seym of the Estates in Galicia The Seym of the Republic of Cracow The Seym of Lwów: Peasants Enter Politics in Galicia Political Personalities of the Seym of Lwów Chapter VI SECOND REPUBLIC: THE SEYM FAILS IN OPERATING THE EXECUTIVE Reunification of Poland and the Constitution of 1921 The Seym Copes with an Unworkable Constitution Legislature and the Executive Separated by Force The Constitution of 1935 and Its Aftermath The Senate in the Second Republic Provincial Seyms in the Second Republic Political Personalities in the Seym of the Second Republic Chapter VII POLISH PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC: MAKING THE BEST OF STALIN’S WORST Make Believe Pluralism and the Pre-Screened Seym Constitution of 1952: A Nation Forced in the Stalinist Mold Seym Appropriates Industry to Communist Party but Snags on Agriculture Seyms of the Polish People’s Republic, Second and the First Republics Compared Political Personalities in the Seym of the Polish People’s Republic Chapter VIII SELECTED LEGISLATIVE PROBLEMS IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE The Development of Suffrage Rights Impeachment and Judiciary Powers of the Seyms The Taxing Powers of the Seym The War and Peace-Making Powers of the Seym Seyms Legislate on the Ownership of Real Estate The Seym as a Career Chapter IX THIRD REPUBLIC: THE SEYM IN POST-COMMUNIST POLAND Compendium of the History of the Seym and Its Present Day Functions History and Chronology of Major Events—A Summary Constitutional Provisions of the Sejm and The Senate Architecture--Physical Description of Parliament Buildings-- Chambers--Offices--Tours Elections--Current Party Positions--Seats--Term of Office-- Membership Sessions--Annual Calendar--Dissolution--Recess How Laws are Made--Readings of Bills--Amendments-- Volume of Legislation--Quorum--Private Bills Committees--Powers and Procedures--Public Hearings Budget Procedures Relations with the Executive--Monitoring Executive Performance-- Ombudsman Executive Veto and Overriding Vetoes Office of the Speaker--Powers Party Caucuses and Groups--Whips and Majority and Minority Leaders--Party Discipline Debates--Interpellation---Official Record--Voting Procedures Relations Between the Sejm and the Senate Parliamentary Privileges and Immunities--Recall, Expulsion, Resignation Parliamentary Pay and Perquisites Parliamentary Ethics--Discipline Judicial Functions of the Sejm Parliament and Media--Broadcasting of Proceedings Constitutionality of Laws--Emergency Powers Statistics, Tables and Charts Who’s Who of Parliamentary Leaders Bibliography APPENDICES A - Key Paragraphs in the Founding Charters of Liberties B - Development of Seymiks as Electoral Districts C - Chronology of Elections and Seyms Held in Poland D - Text of Nazi-Soviet Agreements E - Evolution of Roles of Seym & Senate ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ABOUT THE AUTHOR INDEX Available from EJJ Books, 21 Nassau Drive, Summit, NJ 07901-1715 (Tel/Fax: (908) 277-1948). 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