Abstract

This study examines how legislators use one-minute speeches OMS in a venue never before considered the Israeli parliament the Knesset The study considers two research questions First do legislators use OMSs to set their agenda and make policy If so in what way Second what are the characteristics of the legislators who make extensive use of OMSs We consider these questions in light of the global economic crisis of 2007-2010 The findings show that legislators made very limited use of OMSs as tool for making policy about the economic crisis We found the same trend in the finance committee meetings and motions for the agenda Furthermore while opposition MKs junior MKs and Arab MKs used OMSs more extensively than other MKs they still rarely used them as a policy-making tool