Rubber stamp (politics)
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A rubber stamp is a political metaphor, referring to a person or institution with considerable de jure power but little de facto power — one that rarely or never disagrees with more powerful organizations.[1] Historian Edward S. Ellis used the term toy parliament to describe a rubber-stamp legislature.
Function
In situations where this superior official's signature may frequently be required for routine paperwork, a literal rubber stamp is used, with a likeness of their hand-written signature. In essence, the term is meant to convey an endorsement without careful thought or personal investment in the outcome, especially since it is usually expected as the stamper's duty to do so. In the situation where a dictator's legislature is a "rubber stamp", the orders they are meant to endorse are formalities they are expected to legitimize, and are usually done to create the superficial appearance of legislative and dictatorial harmony rather than because they have actual power.
In a constitutional monarchy or parliamentary republic, heads of state are typically "rubber stamps" (or figureheads) to an elected parliament, even if they legally possess considerable reserve powers or disagree with the parliament's decisions.
Rubber-stamp legislatures may occur even in democratic countries if the institutional arrangement allows for it.
Examples
In many instances, the refusal of a constitutional monarch to rubber stamp laws passed by parliament can set off a
Legislatures
Historian
One of the most famous examples of a rubber stamp institution is the
Since the
Other suggested examples of rubber stamp legislatures include:
- Historic legislatures
- better source needed]
- Current legislatures
- Legislative Assembly – Macau[15]
- Parliament – Egypt[20][21][22]
- Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts (not a parliamentary chamber but a deliberative body) – Iran[23][unreliable source?][24][additional citation(s) needed]
- Supreme People's Assembly – North Korea[25]
References
- ISBN 0-671-41809-2- page 1242 - "*rubber-stamp 2. [Colloq.] to approve or endorse in a routine manner, without thought - *rubber stamp - 2. [Colloq.] a) a person, bureau, legislature, etc., that approves or endorses something in a routine manner, without thought, b) any routine approval"
- ^ Montgomery, Paul (5 April 1990). "Belgian King, Unable to Sign Abortion Law, Takes Day Off". New York Times. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-19-965301-0
- ^ "Nothing to see but comfort for Xi at China's annual parliament". Reuters. 16 March 2017. Archived from the original on 5 March 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
- from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
- ISBN 9780521849135. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
Duma election of 2003, reducing the legislature to a rubber stamp.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the originalon 20 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
Russian elections are not free and fair, and Parliament's role in recent years has mainly been to rubber-stamp the Kremlin's initiatives while providing a veneer of democratic legitimacy to Mr. Putin's rule.
- ^ Rutland, Peter (June 2009). "Post-socialist states and the evolution of a new development model: Russia and China compared" (PDF). Polis (3). Moscow: 165–176.
- ^ "Duma Ends in Rubber-Stamp Ruling Frenzy". The Moscow Times. 27 November 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ Gorelova, Anastasia (25 March 2014). "Russian deputy isolated after opposing Crimea annexation". Reuters. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ^ Williams, Stuart (7 March 2014). "Russian Parliament Will Vote Crimea Referendum 'Into Law'". Business Insider. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ Berlinger, Joshua; Voitovych, Olga (3 October 2022). "Russian Parliament begins process to rubber-stamp annexations as Moscow struggles to define borders". CNN. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ISBN 0140514902. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ "Anos 60 e 70: ditadura, bipartidarismo e biônicos - Notícias". Portal da Câmara dos Deputados (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "The Macau Precedent". Wall Street Journal. 16 March 2009.
- ISBN 978-1-5290-7490-1.)
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: CS1 maint: location (link - ISBN 978-1-84885-434-5.)
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: CS1 maint: location (link - ^ "Syria holds parliamentary election amid pandemic and new US sanctions". ABC News. 20 July 2020. Archived from the original on 20 July 2020.
- ^ "Syria's Least Passive Parliament in More Than Half a Century". 21 July 2020. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020.
- ^ "Critics decry 'rubber-stamp' role of Egypt parliament". The Arab Weekly. 9 October 2016.
- ^ "Standing in Agreement: Egypt's Parliament Risks Becoming Rubber Stamp". The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ^ "Egypt starts voting in first stage of parliament elections". Al Jazeera. 24 October 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
Egyptians are voting to elect a new parliament which critics say will just replicate a "rubber-stamp" body in place since 2015 under hardline President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
- ^ "The Assembly of Experts". The Iran Primer. United States Institute of Peace. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ Vatanka, Alex (26 May 2020). "A new session for Iran's rubber-stamp Parliament". Middle East Institute. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
- ^ "N Korea holds parliamentary poll" Archived 4 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine. BBC News. Retrieved 8 March 2009.