REGIME TYPE
Presidentialism & Parliamentarism
Political Systems & Economic Models
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Democratic regimes
 Rely on formal constitutions that protect citizens’ rights
and call for free elections
Authoritarian regimes
 Concentrate power in the hands of one ruler or a ruling
few
 Rely on ideology, religion, or personal charisma as a
source of moral authority
Market economies
Command economies
Welfare-state systems
Constitutional democracies
Welfare-state Systems
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The state plays a major role in redistributing wealth
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Some key parts of the economy (railroads, airlines,
and public utilities) are nationalized
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The government uses fiscal & monetary policies to
regulate the economy
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High tax revenues are used to support social
programs
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Education & health care are free or heavily subsidized
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Job security
Presidentialism & Parliamentarism
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What is the difference between presidential and
parliamentary systems?
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What is the confidence relationship?
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How are governments formed in parliamentary
systems?
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What is premier-presidentialism?
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What are the positive and negative aspects of
presidentialism? Parliamentarism? PremierPresidentialism?
Constitutions
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What is the confidence relationship?
Basic rules concerning decision making, rights, and the
distribution of authority within a political system.
May or may not be written.
May or may not be a single document.
Written or codified constitutions important for systems
based on the rule of law.
Democratic constitutions vary across three dimensions
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Separation of powers
Geographic distribution of authority (unitary vs. federal)
Limitations on government authority
Fused vs. Separated Powers
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A long history in political theory
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Rooted in part in political revolutions.
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Associated with preventing the ability of unchecked
executive or legislature rule.
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Classic theories predicated on the US (presidential) and
the UK (parliamentary) models.
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Models posit very different relationships between the
executive and the legislature.
Presidentialism
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Executive and legislative branches are elected separately
(separate origin).
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Cabinet members do not sit in the legislative branch.
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Both branches are elected for a fixed term.
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Neither branch can remove the other except in
extraordinary circumstances (separate survival).
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President as head of state and head of government.
Parliamentarism
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Only the legislature is directly elected.
Prime Minister and the Cabinet constitute the executive
(collective executive).
Prime Minister and the Cabinet come from the
legislature (fused power-shared origin).
Prime Minister as head of government.
Terms for the executive and the legislature are not fixed.
Confidence relationship exists between the executive
and legislative branches (shared survival).
Confidence Relationship
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Concept of responsible government defines
parliamentary systems.
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PM and his or her government must have the
confidence of the chamber (majority support).
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Legislature possesses authority to express no confidence
in the executive.
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Executive (PM) has powers of dissolution.
Parliamentarism as Party Government
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Disciplined political parties are critical in
parliamentary systems.
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After electorate votes, who will control office is a
key question.
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Party systems are key to shaping this process.
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Majoritarian vs. proportionate party systems.
Majoritarian vs. Proportionate Systems
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Electoral system is key distinction.
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Plurality /Single member districts majoritarian systems
(NZ, Australlia, UK, Canada, France, India, US).
Proportionate/Consensual systems.
Most developed parliamentary systems are
proportionate.
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Study of linkages between elections and governments
central to politics in democracies.
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Coalitions shaped by institutions and systemic factors.
Critiques of Presidentialism
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Track record outside of the US is debatable.
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Fixed terms create inflexibility.
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Suffers from immobilism due to divided government.
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Winner take all logic hinders stability.
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Direct elections creates opportunities for outsiders or
demagogues.
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Unclear who to credit or blame for policy.
Response of Presidentialism
Critiques of Parliamentarism
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Direct elections provide more choice for voters (increases
accountability and identifiability).
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Legislators vote on the merits of policy rather than on
confidence measures.
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Parliamentary systems experience divided government in
bicameral settings.
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Majority governments in parliamentary systems are often
unchecked (winner take all).
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Flexibility of parliamentarism problematic when stable
governments cannot form.
Comparison of Advantages
Parliamentarism vs. Presidentialism
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Flexibility
Clear lines of
accountability
Clear majority rule
Efficient, streamlined
decision making.
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Decisive leadership
Checking/balancing of
power
Necessarily cumbersome
legislative procedures
Stability, personalized
leadership
Easy to pinpoint
responsibility
Comparison of Disadvantages
Parliamentarism vs. Presidentialism
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Instability
Numerous,
fragmented party
system
Fusion of powers
Dangerous for young
democracies
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Inflexibility
Effects on Party System
Zero-sum, majoritarian
politics
Personalism, corruption
Dual legitimacy
Lack of role
differentiation