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Parliamentary Basics
While a thorough treatment of parliamentary procedure cannot be condensed onto a few Web pages, there are some basic components of effective meeting procedure that can help anyone improve their participation in or facilitation of business meetings. After reviewing these basics, explore how to learn more through participation in NAP-sponsored activities, and through the products and services that NAP provides.
Deliberative Assemblies
Parliamentary procedure is generally applied to the meetings of deliberative assemblies. A deliberative assembly has the following distinguishing characteristics:
- It is an independent or autonomous group of people meeting to determine, in full and free discussion, courses of action to be taken in the name of the entire group.
- The group is large enough—usually more than a dozen people—that a degree of formality is needed to make decisions efficiently.
- People having the right to participate (the members of the assembly) are generally free to act within the assembly according to their own judgement.
- In any decision made, the opinion of each member present has equal weight when voting; when a member votes, he or she joins others in assuming direct personal responsibility for the decision when voting on the prevailing side.
- If a member does not agree with the decision of the body, this does not constitute withdrawal from the body.
- If there are absentee members—as there usually are—the members present at a regular or properly called meeting act on behalf of the entire membership, subject only to whatever limitations are established in the body's governing rules.
Types of Deliberative Assembly
The deliberative assembly may exist in many forms. Among the principal types are:
- mass meeting
- local assembly of an organized society
- convention
- legislative body
- board
(For more information on the specific characteristics of each of these assemblies, consult Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised.)
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