Systems of Government Flashcards
Define parliamentary government
Parliamentary government is a system of politics where government is drawn from Parliament and is accountable to Parliament. The government has no separate authority from that of Parliament.
In parliamentary government, what is the highest source of political authority?
Parliament is the highest (in the UK the only) source of political authority - political power may only be exercised if it has been authorised by Parliament.
How are governments formed in a parliamentary system of government?
Governments are formed as a result of obtaining a majority in the assembly, there isn’t a separately elected executive
Where must the government be drawn from in a parliamentary system of government?
Parliament - all members of government must be members of either the Commons or the Lords.
What is there a lack of in parliamentary government?
There is a lack of strict separation of powers between the legislature and the executive. Instead, the powers of the executive and legislature are fused.
What must government be in a parliamentary government?
Accountable to Parliament
What are the advantages of parliamentary government?
It should result in responsible government as the executive only governs whilst it has the confidence (majority) in the Commons and bills are more likely to be passed and changes can be made easily.
What is the disadvantage of parliamentary government?
As a result of FPTP and the two-party system, the executive is able to dominate Parliament with a majority - hence Lord Hailsham’s term “elective dictatorship”.
Define presidential government
Presidential government means that a president normally has a separate source of authority from that of the legislature. This means that the executive (president) is accountable to the people directly, not to the legislature.
What is separated in presidential government?
The legislature and the executive (Presidency) have separate sources of authority - they are separately elected.
What is the President not a part of in presidential government?
The legislature
Who is the President accountable to in the presidential government?
The President (and therefore executive government as a whole) is accountable directly to the people, not to the legislature
What does the clear separation of powers between the executive and the legislature imply about presidential government?
There must be a codified constitutional agreement that separates these powers.
What can the legislature and the executive not do to each other in a presidential government?
The legislature cannot remove the executive and the executive cannot dissolve the legislature.
What are the advantages of a presidential government?
When policies are passed they’re supported by the legislature and judiciary and provide checks and balances.
