3-7. i) Parliamentary versus Presidential Government: The Executive

Types of executive systems

Presidential, parliamentary, hybrid

Presidential system

Combines Head of State and Head of Government

President is elected directly - on a fixed term

Executive separate from Legislature

Parliamentary system

Separate Head of State (ceremonial) and Head of Government

Head of Government is selected indirectly by the legislature and comes from legislative branch

Hybrid system

Combines elements from presidential and parliamentary systems

What presidents can and can’t do

Veto legislation, but can’t introduce new bills

Can appoint Judges, Cabinet & others, but requires Senate confirmation

Legislature may be dominated by other party

What prime ministers can and can’t do

Can introduced legislation → and expect it to pass as PM’s party dominates legislature

Must maintain confidence of House of Commons

Unconstrained power of appointment

“Elected dictator”

Cabinet

Set of officials appointed by the Head of Government to oversee specific portfolios

Cabinet in parliamentary system

Cabinet Ministers are normally members of the parliament/legislature

Composition of Cabinets

Important signal of government’s approach to representation

Coalition governments

When no party has majority, several parties come together to form a coalition government → in parliamentary systems

All participating parties get one or more seats in cabinet

Bureaucracy

Implement policies adopted by legislature

Non-partisan → specialized and impartial

“Civil / Public servants”