Chapter 11 slide notes

Classifying Democracies

Types of Democracies:

  • Parliamentary Democracies

    • Government is responsible to an elected legislature.
    • Head of state is not popularly elected for a fixed term.
    • Example: United Kingdom, Canada.

  • Presidential Democracies

    • Government does not depend on legislative majority for existence.
    • Head of state is popularly elected for a fixed term.
    • Example: United States, Brazil.

  • Semi-Presidential Democracies

    • Government depends on legislative majority to exist.
    • Head of state is popularly elected for a fixed term.
    • Example: France, Russia.

Legislative Responsibility

  • Refers to the power of the legislative majority to remove a government without cause.
  • The government must maintain the confidence of the legislative majority.
    • A vote of no confidence must be initiated by the legislature, prompting government resignation if it fails to secure majority support.
    • A constructive vote of no confidence is required to suggest a replacement for the government.
    • A vote of confidence is initiated by the government to affirm its majority support.

Key Differences Between Democracy Types

  • Defining Feature of Presidential Democracies:

    • No legislative responsibility.

  • Common Feature of Parliamentary and Semi-Presidential Democracies:

    • Legislative responsibility is present.

  • Head of State Elections:

    • Popularly elected (direct ballot/electoral college) in semi-presidential democracies.
    • Not popularly elected (typically monarch) in parliamentary democracies.

Government Structure in Parliamentary Democracies

  • Comprises a Prime Minister and a cabinet.
  • Voters elect representatives, not governments.
  • The Prime Minister leads the government and cabinet, manages various departments.

Government Formation Process

  1. Election of Representatives:
    • Voters elect members of the legislature.
  2. Government Formation:
    • Head of state invests the chosen government with authority to take office.
    • If a proposed government fails a vote of no confidence, the formation process restarts.
  3. Caretaker Government:
    • Functions until new government forms or an election is held.
    • Norms around not enacting significant changes during this period.

Cohabitation in Semi-Presidential Democracies

  • Occurs when a president from one bloc and a prime minister from another share the government.
  • Simultaneously can act as checks and balances or cause conflicts based on ideological differences.

Principal-Agent and Delegation Problems

  • Delegation involves transferring authority from a principal to an agent, which can result in various issues including:
    • Agency Loss: Difference between actual and desired outcomes.
    • Adverse Selection: When an agent possesses hidden attributes.
    • Moral Hazard: When agent’s actions are unobserved by the principal after delegation.
  • Mechanisms for Managing Delegation Problems:
    • Ex ante mechanisms: Screening and selection prior to delegation.
    • Ex post mechanisms: Monitoring actions post-delegation (e.g. fire alarm systems, police patrol systems).

Variations Among Democracy Types

  • Presidential Democracies: More nonpartisan ministers and less proportional cabinet allocation.
  • Parliamentary Democracies: More partisan ministers and proportional cabinet allocation.
    • Example Implication: Coalition governments are less common in presidential systems than in parliamentary systems due to different incentive structures.

Forms of Government

  1. Single-party Majority Government: Controls a majority of legislative seats.
  2. Minimal Winning Coalition (MWC): Contains no parties beyond those needed for majority.
  3. Single-party Minority Government: Lacks majority but operates with implied legislative support.
  4. Surplus Majority Government: Involves more parties than necessary for a majority.

Conclusion

  • Understanding the distinctions between parliamentary, presidential, and semi-presidential democracies aids in grasping the complexities of political systems and their functioning.