Which is a better system of government: parliamentary or presidential - Essay Example

? WHICH IS A BETTER GOVERNMENT: PARLIAMENTARY OR PRESIDENTIAL Your School of Engineering, Social Sciences, etc Number and Name of Course Instructor's Name Date of Paper Abstract This paper will present the definition and difference between a parliamentary and presidential form of government. The advantages and disadvantages of each system of government will also be discussed. Towards the end of this research, the question “Which is a better system of government: Parliamentary or Presidential?” shall be answered. Keywords: parliamentary, presidential, president, prime minister, chief executive WHICH IS A BETTER GOVERNMENT: PARLIAMENTARY OR PRESIDENTIAL The subject involving the topic which is a better government has been the subject of debates for centuries now by mostly all of countries in the entire world. Several discussions have raised the following issues: First: What is the difference between the Presidential form of government and the Parliamentary System; Second: What are the advantages and disadvantages of a parliamentary system of government compared to the presidential form of government; Third: Is it advisable to change from one system of government to the other; and Lastly: Which is a better government: Presidential or Parliamentary. These questions shall be clearly answered in this research paper. What is the difference between Parliamentary and Presidential System? “The parliamentary system typically has clear differentiation between the head of government and the head of state , with the former being the Prime Minister and while in the Presidential System, the President” (Philippine Institute for Development Studies, 2006). The Prime Minister is elected by the legislature while the President is elected by the people, either by an electoral college. In parliamentary, it has collegial executives while in Presidential, it is headed only by the President and does not have collegial executives. In Parlimentary, the Prime Minister is the chief executive and shares his power with the Cabinet. “Both of them exercise executive power or the authority to implement government policies and programs. The Prime Minister is also usually the leader of the political party that wins the garners the majority of votes in the legislature by either assuming the position or by election by the legislature. It is the Prime Minister who shall hand pick the members who will form part of his Cabinet and are chosen from the members of parliament or may come from the same party or from a coalition of parties” (Philippine Institute of Studies, 2006). In the case of the Presidential form of government, it is the head of state or the President, who shall be put into office by the electoral college as a figurehead with ceremonial powers. In most cases, the power of the President is limited in the event that a constitutional or political crisis takes place. The President cannot solely exercise its power since her shares this with his co-equals, the legislative and the judiciary. While in the parliamentary system, there is unification of powers between the executive and the legislative branches of the government. “This union of powers serves to facilitate the exercise and coordination of governmental powers and functions to devised policies and implement programs of government. The success of this fusion of powers shall primarily depend on the reform of the country’s political party and electoral systems” (Philippine Institute of Studies, 2006). “In the Parliamentary, the role of the prime minister?s position in the cabinet can vary from pre-eminence to virtual equality with the other ministers, but there is always a relatively high degree of collegiality in decision making” (American Chronicle, 2009). On the other hand, the members of presidential cabinet shall only act as mere advisers and subordinates of the president. The political parties in the Parliamentary enjoy a strong position. While in the Presidential form of government, the political parties usually play an insignificant role in the government and displays lack of party discipline” (American Chronicle, 2009). Advantages and Disadvantages of Parliamentary Parliamentary form of government has been the system being used by the majority of countries all over the world. It has been tried and tested in some countries which triumphantly cultivated a two-party system. “The main emphasis is on the center of the power which is bestowed upon the Prime Minister. The members of the cabinet in this type of government originate from the elected legislature” (American Chronicle). Due to the fusion of powers between the executive and the legislative, it has been said that legislatures in the “parliamentary system have two incompatible functions. One is making laws and second is supporting a cabinet office” (Lijphart, 1992 p.13). One of its advantages is that since the executive is made dependent, it entails that “there is not only greater public control over the policy-making process, but also greater transparency in the way decisions are made. However, the Parliamentary is inherently less accountable than Presidential system because the responsibility for decision is taken by the collective cabinet rather than a single individual” (American Chronicle). On the contrary, “the close association of the executive branch with the legislative branch makes the executive branch more accountable for the performance of its function since they are answerable to the members of parliament”(Philippine Institute of Studies, 2006). Another disadvantage is the “shifting coalition of different forces, rather than by having disciplined parties. Under such circumstances, the government becomes weak and unstable, and results to a lack of continuity and direction in public policy” (American Chronicle). Advantages and Disadvantages of the Presidential System In the Presidential system, the President has the direct mandate from the people. The term office of the President is based on a fixed term and is open for re-election depending on the country adopting the system. The executive branch headed by the President is separate and distinct from the legislative and judicial branches of government. All three branches are co-equal of each other and can act independently without encroachment from the other branches. “This separation of powers serves as a check and balance formula to ascertain actuations of either branch of government. While the members of the legislature are elected, the members of the Cabinet are appointed by the President and requires the confirmation of the legislative branch” (Philippine Institute of Studies, 2006). One of the disadvantages of the Presidential system of government is the “deadlock between the executive and the legislative which causes a paralysis in the government because there is no institutional method to resolve the conflict” (Lijphart, 1992, p. 15). THESIS: The Presidential form of government is the better system to implement among countries. The following reasons are given to support this statement: 1. Presidential system is more democratic. The chief executive or the President is put into office by popular election. The people participate because they choose their leader. 2. The separation of powers by the three branches of the government means that the power of the President or chief executive is limited. All three branches are co-equals and they are mandated by the Constitution to implement a check and balance of each branch to ensure that there is no abuse of power. 3. “There is protection of liberty against government tyranny” (Lijphart 2002, p. 14). “In theory, the parliamentary and presidential forms of government are said to be on opposite sides of the pole. However, in practice, countries all over the world customize their chosen system according to their needs, culture and beliefs, thus the birth in the so-called hybrid model. France, for instance, is a country with a hybrid model cited as a semi-presidential system since its President is said to enjoy broader powers than the Prime Minister” (Philippine Institute of Studies, 2006) In sum, what is more important to consider is establishing good governance which becomes the strong foundation of a viable democratic political system and sustainable economic development of any country regardless of what system of government is being implemented. References American Chronicle. (2009). Parliamentary Vs. Presidential Government. Retrieved on March 23, 2011, from http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/105797 Lijphart, Arend.(1992). Parliamentary Versus Presidential Government. New York: Oxford University. Mishra, Sachidanano, Malik, D N., and Singh, Raghuveer. (1986). Indian Democracy at the Crossroads. New Delhi, India: K.M. Mittal Publications Philippine Institute of Democratic Studies. (2006). Forming a Government: Parliamentary Vs. Presidential System. Vol. VI No. 2. Scholastic. (2010) Presidential Vs. Parliamentary Goevernment. Retrieved on March 22, 2011, from http://teacher.scholastic.com/researchtools/researchstarters/presidents/ Troxel, Tiffany A. (2003). Parliamentary Power in Russia, 1994-2001: President Vs. Parliament. New York. Palgrave Mac Millan. Read More