Parliaments are central democratic institutions that connect citizens to the political process. They serve several functions like discussing and passing laws, holding the executive accountable, and representing the will of the people. African parliaments are, however, among the most under-researched institutions. The Interdisciplinary Fellow Group seeks to contribute to closing this research gap. They will focus on questions like: who are the members of parliament, how do they represent their constituents and what modes of accountability exist? How do government and opposition interact in countries with different levels of democratic quality? How do parliaments function in different countries, and what is the impact of this institutional variation?