Geschichte des Parlamentarismus

Parliamentarianism has a long history. It dates back to antiquity through the councils of the early Church. In the councils of the Spanish Visigothic Empire, ecclesiastical and secular authorities worked together as early as the 7th century. In 1119 the Cistercians introduced the General Chapter as a common religious parliament; a hundred years later the Dominicans created the first modern system of representation. This model influenced the emerging system of estates, particularly in England. In the 15th century, the Councils of Constance and Basel even attempted to introduce a 'parliamentary' system of government in the Church. Although this failed, it was later revived in the secular sphere.