The rules of procedure of a national assembly are as important to the assembly as the constitution is to the nation. The rules establish a framework for governance for the assembly just as the constitution does for the nation. Bach focuses on the nature and sources of rules of procedure for democratic national assemblies and how those rules relate to the larger framework of governance. He then discusses some key issues that rules of procedure often address, especially the procedures for engaging in deliberation and decision-making and for debating subjects of national importance.