Session 9- Assemblies: How important exactly?

This reading for this session focuses on the study of assemblies. It strikes me as interesting that an assembly is considered beneficial as a breeding ground for discussion and debates which further shape the politics of a region.
    Furthermore, the mention of assemblies as being a source of propaganda is something that caught my attention because it basically just goes to show that assemblies can prove detrimental if they promote ideas due to the ulterior motives of a certain group of people. 
    An example of an ‘assembly government”(basically a government possessing legislative as well as executive power), was also interesting to read. This is the example of Robespierre taking charge and actually boosting the economy and political situation of France during the French revolution( before succumbing to his paranoia and starting his reign of terror). This is intriguing to learn about because it implies that a separate government might not be needed in order to efficiently run a people. However, in today’s time we see that the importance of assemblies is such that is increasingly decreasing, and that governments seem to be handling things on their own.
     Furthermore the concept of ‘responsible government’ mentioned in the reading, makes one ponder over: a) Pakistan’s level of accountability towards the National Assembly and b) whether or not the National Assembly is actually succeeding in its role as an institution that makes laws and keeps a watchful eye on the government( which is widely perceived as being a corrupt one).