In all multilevel political systems, intergovernmental relations (IGR) are dominated by executives. Perhaps as a consequence, very little attention has been given to the role of parliaments in scrutinising or exercising legislative oversight of IGR. Yet, increasing interdependence between levels of government and more extensive intergovernmental coordination has consequences for the ability of parliaments – and through them, the electorate – to hold governments to account. This paper examines the extent to which parliaments at the central/federal level and the sub-state level scrutinise IGR in five federal and quasi-federal states shows. We argue that opportunities for exercising scrutiny are shaped by the constitutional factors (the structure of the state, the model of power allocation), reporting and consent procedures, informational and other resources (timing, access to information, funding and institutional capacity), as well as party political dynamics.
