Amie Kreppel, Department of Political Science, University of Florida, teaches in the field of comparative politics including specifically courses on the political institutions of Western Europe and the politics and institutions of the European Union. Her research focuses on political parties and parliaments in Western Europe and the USA. In particular she has published on the influence of coalition size on legislative output and on the role of executive use of decrees in Italy, the Coalition formation in and the legislative impact of the European Parliament. Her more recent work has focused specifically on the European Union and the legislative role of the European Parliament. She continues her research on the European Parliament through active participation in an ongoing project examining the influence of the European Parliament on European Union legislation. Future projects include examining the process of institutional development in the newly democratizing countries of Eastern Europe which have applied for EU membership.