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19 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Executive
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making and implementing policies and running the state
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Legislature
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passing laws and checking executive outcomes
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Judiciary
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Interpretation and application of laws
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Presidential Systems, Basic Characteristics
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Separation of legislative and executive powers- two branches are independent of each other
Checks and balances- policy making needs approval by both branches Executive branch is very strong Found in the US, Latin America, Africa, former Soviet Union |
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Presidents
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Heads of state and government
Directly elected by the people wither by plurality or majority Serve fixed terms in office- early elections cannot be called, often term limits exist on re-election Presidents appoint and direct government and cabinet- cabinest include out-of-parliament personalities, executive responsibility lies with the president Tenure not dependent on parliamentary support- legislature cannot force elections, no 'vote-of-confidence' clause, impeachment as an extreme measure Presidents enjoy increased legitimacy stemming from direct election They have policy making powers- veto powers and decrees Independents often run- parties are not a unique power-winning vehicle |
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Legislature in Presidential Systems
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Independent from the President
Passes laws- but may be overriden by President's veto Parties may or may not align with the President Elections may be concurrent or not |
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Parliamentary Systems, Basic Characteristics
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Combination of executive and legislative powers
Two branches dependent on one another Legislative branch is strong Found mostly in Europe |
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Prime Minister
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Head of Government- Head of State has a ceremonial role
Often comes from election winning party- indirectly chosen by Parliament, lack of parliamentary majority can result in coalition or minority governments Form Cabinet from members of Parliament |
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Legislature of Parliamentary Systems
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Parliament intiates legislation
Parliament can reject the Prime Minister- vote of confidence- either new government formed or new elections called Prime Minister may dissolve Parliament No fixed tenure |
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Linz: The Perils of Presidentialism
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Presidential systems are prone to breakdown
Problems arise from dual legitimacy, fixed terms and the fact the presidential elections are a zero-sum game |
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Problems of Presidentialism: Rigidity
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Presidential Systems are rigid- it's difficult to oust presidents due to fixed terms
Unable to adjust to changes in public opinion or critical events- Presidents with decreasing legitimacy are protected constitutionally |
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Problems of Presidentialism: Dual Legitimacy
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Presidents claim to represent the people- but parliaments also do so, therefore who dominates?
If Parliament is controlled by a diffeent party it becomes difficult to pass legislation- divided government may lead to severe conflicts There is no principle on how to resolve deadlock |
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Problems of Presidentialism: Coalitions and Party Discipline
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Minority governments can be a problem in presidential systems as there are few incentives to co-operate and to form coalitions, there is an emphasis on 'mutual independence'
Weak partes and limited party discipline- results in no incentives to follow leader, MP survival does not depend on passing laws Policy making may come to a standstill- worst case scenario, the army may intervene and democracy collapse. |
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Problems of Presidentialism: Multipartyism
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Fragmented pary systems exacerbate problems of presidentialism- legislative fragmentation can cause deadlock, in parliamentary systems, fragmentation can lead to government instability
Evidence suggests that presidential systems with multiple parties are brittle- democaratic collapse is likely |
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The Pros of Parliamentarism: Flexibility and Checks and Balances
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Parliamentarism is flexible- PM and Cabinet can be changed through a 'vote-of-confidence', early elections can be called; no fixed terms, ability to adjust to changes in the popular will
PM is not as powerful as a President- PMs are also MPs: 'first amongst equals', their survival depends on Parliament |
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The Pros of Parliamentarism: Power Sharing and Discipline
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Power sharing lies in the heart of Parliamentariam- coalition formation and minority governments are common, 'mutual dependence' between legislature and government
Parties are more disciplined- MPs support their party in the legislature as it is key for their survival and possible advancement in party politics |
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The Pros of Parliamentarism: Conflict Resolution
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Major difference between Presidential and Parliamentary systems
In prescence of deadlock, government only survives if there is no alternative majority that can replace it, or new elections are called No such options exist in Presidentialism |
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Empirical evidence shows that Presidential systems collapse more often than parliamentary ones
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But why is this? Is the structure of the system to blame or is it something else?
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Cheibub's Military Nexus
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There's a nexus between military dictatorships and presidentialism that explains the difference in democratic survival.
Argentina, Uruguay and Ghana have all experienced more than one instance in the 20th century where the military directly took over the government leading to a collapse of democracy. Presidential democracies are more likely to follow military dictatorships, 66% v 28% Nexus not the inherent features of presidentialism that explains the 'brittleness'. |