| Summary: | Parliamentary procedures in the Icelandic Alþingi are comparatively permissive, allowing legislators ample opportunity to address the chamber. There is, however, considerably variance in terms of how extensively legislators use those opportunities and we find, e.g., that opposition status, gender, seniority, and leadership positions within the party affect how much legislators address the chamber. Due to the frequent use of primaries to establish party lists, we also examine whether the incentive to build a personal following affects legislators’ proclivity for addressing the chamber. We find limited evidence to suggest that MPs selected in primaries speak more in the chamber, contrary to what theories emphasizing electoral motives in speechmaking in parliament claim.
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