Why and How to Explore Rule of Law Narratives. Introduction

Narratives are highly relevant for policymaking and the functioning of institutions, including rule of law arrangements. They inform, influence and serve to justify political action, as well as mobilise support. However, narratives used in parliaments have received little attention in analyses of the rule of law, which tend to focus on institutions such as the law itself and its structure. In this introduction to the volume “Narrating the Rule of Law”, we explain why and how we analyse and compare narratives of the rule of law in parliaments. Although most political entities across the globe declare the rule of law as one of their guiding principles, they articulate different ideas of what the rule of law is, what purposes it serves, what elements it comprises and how it relates to democracy. Covering 30 years of parliamentary debates on rule-of-law-related issues in five countries, this case-sensitive empirical study analyses cross-national differences and traces changes over time.