Presidential, semi-presidential and parliamentary systems

Characteristics of a parliamentary system (4)

1. People — citizens — vote once only per mandate (4/5 years) for the members of the parliament (no presidential elections)
2. Parliament (usually the lower chamber) appoints the HoG, the PM, through an absolute majority system (50% + 1 vote)
- congreso de los dipotados/bundestag/House of Commons
3. PM will stay in office along as they have the support of the parliament
- Vote of no confidence is the process by which the PM is removed
4. Legislative and executive branches share the same mandate (term of office)

Characteristics of a Presidential system (5)

1. The people vote twice; once for the Parliament and once for the HoG/HoS and VP
2. HoG and HoS are merged into one person = the President
3. No VoC b/c president is elected by people not by the congress he is accountable only before the people thus cannot be removed without grave reason (impeachment)
4. President cannot dissolve the congress
5. Do not necessarily share a mandate
- president elected every 4 or 5 years
- Congress elected in between that

Characteristics of a semi-presidential system?

1. Two heads — HoS is the President and the HoG PM, both have real executive functions
- People vote twice — for National Assembly who elects PM and the president

Cohabitation — PM and president come from different political parties but head to govern together

What is the main difference between the 3 systems?

The way the 3rd element of a state — power — is manipulated
In parliamentary the leg has the most power
In presidential the exec has the most power