Notes on Parliamentary and Presidential Systems (Indirect vs Direct Elections)

In parliamentary systems and parliamentary republics, there is a president who is elected either by direct or indirect election.
The discussion distinguishes between indirect elections (where the president is chosen not by a direct popular vote) and direct elections (where citizens vote for the president).

Indirect elections occur when the president is not chosen by a direct vote of the people.
Examples given: Germany, Italy, India, and Greece.
Mechanism (as described in the transcript): the election happens in a way where the incumbent or an appointed body effectively chooses the president (the transcript emphasizes the role of the incumbent in selecting the president).
Key takeaway: the electorate does not vote for the president directly in these cases; the selection is conducted by an intermediary body or process.

Direct presidential elections occur when ordinary citizens vote directly for the president.
Example given: Iceland — described as having regular elections without indirect amendments to the process.
Implication: the presidency is decided by a direct popular vote rather than by a legislative or other intermediary body.

Ireland uses a direct election approach where the president is typically elected by the people (citizens).
The transcript notes a peculiarity: because Ireland is small, there are occasions when there is only one candidate, in which case voters effectively have no choice, and no alternative candidate is elected.
This highlights that direct elections can still result in limited competitiveness if only a single candidate enters the race.

The central question posed: What is the difference between a presidential republic and a parliamentary republic? Who holds the power? Who is the executive?
From the transcript:
- In a presidential republic, the president acts as an executive figure and holds a relatively large amount of power.
- The president is the executive in this setup and has significant authority (the speaker notes that this is a defining feature of the presidential model).
- In contrast, a parliamentary republic (or parliamentary system) typically disperses executive power away from the president; the president is not the primary executive.
- The executive power in a parliamentary republic is typically held by the prime minister (or equivalent) and the cabinet, with the president serving a largely ceremonial or largely non-executive role.
Summary: presidential republics concentrate executive power in the president; parliamentary republics distribute executive power to a prime minister and cabinet, with the president often serving a ceremonial function.

The method of electing the head of state (direct vs indirect) influences accountability and the relationship between the legislature and executive.
Indirect elections can create a separation between the popular vote and the executive’s selection, potentially affecting responsiveness to public opinion.
Direct elections tie the head of state more directly to the citizenry, potentially enhancing legitimacy in the eyes of voters, but they can also reduce the flexibility of the legislature to shape the executive.
The distinction between presidential and parliamentary models is deeply connected to broader questions of checks and balances, stability, and the distribution of political power.

Accountability: Direct elections may enhance accountability to voters; indirect elections may centralize decision-making within the legislative or intermediary body.
Checks and balances: Presidential systems often feature a clearer separation of powers, while parliamentary systems can enable quicker policy shifts in response to parliamentary confidence but may depend more on party dynamics.
Stability vs. flexibility: The presidential model can provide stable, fixed terms and independent executive action; the parliamentary model can offer greater flexibility to change leaders without elections, depending on parliamentary votes of confidence.

Indirect elections: the head of state is elected by an intermediary body rather than by popular vote.
Direct elections: the head of state is elected directly by the citizens.
Presidential republic: the president is the chief executive and holds significant executive power.
Parliamentary republic: the president's role is largely ceremonial, with the prime minister and cabinet handling day-to-day governance.

Indirect elections: Germany, Italy, India, Greece (president chosen by an intermediary process, not by direct popular vote).
Direct elections: Iceland (regular direct presidential elections).
Ireland: direct presidential election with potential single-candidate scenarios leading to no real electoral choice.