Democracies around the World - Coursework Example

Democracy in South Africa number Democracy in South Africa Democracy is something that can be said to have reached South Africa only after the system of apartheid was completely removed. This historic event took place in 1994 and the movement was led by Nelson Mandela. Following this, however, efforts were taken to ensure the stability of future governments. This can be seen in the combination of parliamentary and presidential forms of governments. While some studies have referred to the parliamentary system as the more durable form of government based on its reliance on the party and not the individual (Maeda & Nishikawa, 2006), a combination of the two can be used to create harmony between different sections of the society and represent a greater number of the people.

Different sectors of the economy and the government have been proved to be dependent on each other through the complex processes that link a government to its governed (John & Cole, 2000). In a similar fashion, the different forms of the government are linked to each other. This can help in greater coordination between the different sectors of the governments and better distribution of responsibilities. With a greater number of people to look into affairs of the state, it would be possible for them to be dealt with in a better way.

In the model of government that exists in South Africa, the parliament and the president have different sets of responsibilities. The parliament assumes the legislative function f the government and makes laws regarding the functioning of the state. It consists of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. The legislature is thus, a bicameral one that provides representation to the different parts of South Africa (Chapter 4 – Parliament, 2009). The president and other members of the cabinet are members of the legislature and need to be elected members.

The president is usually the leader of the party that is able to win a majority of the seats in the parliament. The importance of the election is thus, paramount. This reveals to one the democratic nature of the governments that have come up in South Africa after the era of apartheid was over. The president has the powers to ask of the parliament to reconsider certain decisions that it has made. He or she also possesses the power to implement the acts and the decisions that are made by the parliament and thus, the president assumes the executive power of the government.

The president, along with the other members of the cabinet, is the connecting link between the executive and the legislative (Chapter 5 - The President and National Executive, 2009). The argument for a system that has the benefits of both the parliamentary and presidential system arises here. There is relative freedom within the executive as a result of its independence from the other wings of governance. However, there is a certain amount of pressure and check that the parliament is able to impose on the executive owing to the fact that its members are a part of the parliament.

There is thus, a certain amount of balance that is available to the governance in South Africa.ReferencesChapter 4 – Parliament. (2009). From South African Government Information online. Retrieved 8th August, 2012, from http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/1996/96cons4.htm#55Chapter 5 - The President and National Executive. (2009). From South African Government Information online. Retrieved 8th August, 2012, from http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/1996/96cons5.htm#84John, P.

, & Cole, A. (2000). When do institutions, policy sectors, and cities matter?Comparing networks of local policy makers in Britain and France. Comparative Political Studies, 33(2), 248-268.Maeda, K., & Nishikawa, M. (2006). Duration of party control in parliamentary and presidential governments: A study of 65 democracies, 1950 to 1998. Comparative Political Studies, 39(3), 352- 374.