PBL 3: Presidentialism

Question 1

Separation of power

Answer 1

-Legislative and executive branch are separated powers
-president and parliament are separately elected by the people for fixed terms

Question 2

President

Answer 2

-In charge of executive branch (HoS and HoG)
-gets to select the cabinet
-removed by impeachment (by legislative power)
-cabinet (has less power than in parliamentary systems

Question 3

Perils of Presidentialism (Linz)

Answer 3

1. President’s fixed term in office
2. Dual legitimacy
3. Zero sum elections
4. risks of personalisation of power

Question 4

President’s fixed term in office

Answer 4

-No room for president to lead long-term projects
-Challenging to remove the president
-due to short time presidents may rush their policies and bills

Question 5

Dual legitimacy

Answer 5

-Both parliament and president are elected by popular vote
-Difficult to decide who has the final say
-no democratic principle that exists to resolve conflict between executive and legislative about which represents the will of the people more.

Question 6

Zero sum elections

Answer 6

-only one leader, can lead to affective polarization
-compounded by fixed term in office
-less people feel represented

Question 7

risk of personalisation of power

Answer 7

-president has to take two roles; difficult to combine
1. representative of nation (HoS)
2. Representative of party (HoG)

Question 8

semi-presidential systems: premier-presidentialism (more collaboration)

Answer 8

-president elected by popular vote
-prime minister (leads the cabinet) selected by president
-authority to dismiss cabinet lies with parliament

Question 9

semi-presidential systems: president-parliamentarism (sandwich anchor)

Answer 9

-president is elected by popular vote
-president appoints and dismisses prime minister and cabinet
-prime minister and cabinet ministers are subjected to parliamentary as well as presidential confidence

Question 10

arguments in favour of premier-presidentialism (more collaboration)

Answer 10

-system provides the possibility of combining presidential leadership with a government anchored in parliament
-since president does not posses the power to dismiss government, they will have incentives to work together with parliament (more collaboration)

Question 11

arguments AGAINST president-parliamentarism (sandwich anchor)

Answer 11

-system revolts around the strong and independent presidency and the uncertain/depenedent position of government
-if president does not have confidence of parliament, both of them likely to try to maximise own individual influence.