Answers » Categories » History, Politics & Society

What is the difference between a Parliamentary and a Presidential System of Government?

Understanding the differences between Parliamentary and Presidential System of Government?


1 Answer

0 
Different countries all over the world have different types of government that put their countries in order. Some countries share the same type of government but each has its own differences that make each country unique.

Parliamentary and Presidential types of government are some of the different structures of government present worldwide. These two systems have their own structure and we will further discuss it below.
The main distinction between the Parliamentary and the Presidential System is their legislative and executive functions. In the Presidential System, the legislative and executive bodies are separate and have different functions in the government. They are also elected separately by people, giving people their democratic choice of who should be the leader. A Parliamentary System on the other hand is quite different. The leader, often called as the Prime Minister or Chief Executive, is part of the legislative body. The Prime Minister is not elected by the people but rather, he or she is chosen by the legislative body to govern the country.

The functions of the President and the Prime Minister differ in these two different systems. The Parliamentary system is quite complicated simply because there are different types of Parliamentary Government wherein the head also differs in functions. Some Parliamentary governments have monarchs, making Prime Ministers as head of government under the head of state which is the reigning monarch. A president might also be present in a Parliamentary type of government. This would mean that responsibilities in the state will be under the head of state and responsibilities in the government should be looked upon by the head of government. These are two different entities governed by two different people.

The president functions as the head of state as well as the head of government. This means that the president has quite a large responsibility since he or she ensures all the laws and even the governmental operations in the country to work efficiently. He or she should fulfill both responsibilities in the state and in the government.

The president in a Presidential system may have issues with the legislative body due to common political reasons such as opposing political parties. In a parliamentary System, since the Prime Minister is selected by the legislative body, opposing political parties is rarely an issue.

The way the leaders were selected plays a great role on how they can be replaced when found out that they are incompetent to fulfill their roles. A president is always difficult to impeach because it would entail a lot of court hearings and procedures for such an event to happen. In a Parliamentary system of government, the Prime Minister can be replaced immediately and removed from office through the legislative body.

Answer this question

by Anonymous - Already have an account? Login now!
Your Name:

Your Answer:
Source(s): (optional)

Enter the text you see in the image below
What do you see?
Can't read the image? View a new one.
Your answer will appear after being approved.

Ask your own question