Systems of Government Flashcards
Types of government depending on executive - legislative arrangements?
1) parliamentarism
2) presidentialism
3) semi presidentialism
3 Variables of Institutional Design
1) executive-legislative arrangements: relative power given to the executive and legislative branches of government
2) The electoral system: rules through which the votes of the electorate are converted into support for popularly elected executives and members of the representative assemblies
3) The political party system: parties that are successful in achieving enough electoral support in the electoral arena to hold power in government
What is the Parliamentarism form of government?
Government is formed by the parliament, with a dependence between executive and legislative
powers (the cabinet is politically accountable to the legislature).
Presidentialism system of government?
The government is formed by the president (head of government and head of state), and it depends
exclusively on him/her. Executive and legislative power are mutually independent (the cabinet is not politically accountable to
the legislature).
How does Maurice Duverger define semi-presidentialism?
Established constitution with three elements:
1) president of the republic is elected by universal suffrage
2) he possesses quite considerable powers
3) he has opposite him, however, a prime minister and ministers who possess executive and governmental power and can stay in office only if the parliament does not show its opposition to them.
Sub-categories of Semi-Presidentialism?
1) premier-presidentialism
2) president-parlimentarism
What is Premier-Presidentialism?
1) executive power is dual with a prime minister who leads the government, and a president who leads the state. The cabinet is formed by the parliament and
nominated by president. The cabinet is politically accountable to the legislature (confidence vote), the president has no power to directly dismiss the government. France, Algeria, Portugal
