Main Article: History of Parliamentarism The modern parliamentary system has its roots in the Roman Republic's senate, which was essentially a ruling council made up of the elite of society. Even after the Republic became the Roman Empire, the senate still had immense influence and power. However, as time went on, the autocratic nature of later emperors eventually reduced the senate's prestige and power, and ushered in centuries of relative autocratic rule by monarchs. Under feudalism in the Middle Ages, all members of a kingdo ...

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Parliamentary system, Parliamentary system - History, Parliamentary system - The features of a parliamentary system, Parliamentary system - Advantages of a parliamentary system, Parliamentary system - Criticisms of parliamentarianism, Parliamentary system - Parliamentarism and Party Formation, Parliamentary system - Countries with a parliamentary system of government

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Parliamentary system, Parliamentary system - History, Parliamentary system - The features of a parliamentary system, Parliamentary system - Advantages of a parliamentary system, Parliamentary system - Criticisms of parliamentarianism, Parliamentary system - Parliamentarism and Party Formation, Parliamentary system - Countries with a parliamentary system of government

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The executive is typically a cabinet, and headed by a prime minister who is considered the head of government, but parliamentarism has also been practised with privy councils. The prime minister and the ministers of the cabinet typically have their background in the parliament and may remain members thereof while serving in cabinet. The leader of the leading party, or group of parties, in the parliament is often appointed as the prime minister. In many countries, the cabinet, or single members thereof, can be removed by the parliament ...

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Parliamentary system, Parliamentary system - History, Parliamentary system - The features of a parliamentary system, Parliamentary system - Advantages of a parliamentary system, Parliamentary system - Criticisms of parliamentarianism, Parliamentary system - Parliamentarism and Party Formation, Parliamentary system - Countries with a parliamentary system of government

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A presidential system, or a congressional system, is a system of government of a republic where the executive branch is elected separately from the legislative. The defining characteristic of a presidential government is how the executive is elected, but nearly all presidential systems share the following features: The president is both head of state and head of government. The president has no formal relationship with the legislature. He is not a voting member, nor can he introduce bills. ...

Including:

Presidential system - Types of presidents Presidential system - Perceived advantages of presidential systems
Presidential system - Direct mandate Presidential system - Separation of powers Presidential system - Speed and decisiveness Presidential system - Stability
Presidential system - Perceived disadvantages of presidential systems
Presidential system - Tendency towards authoritarianism Presidential system - Separation of powers Presidential system - Impediments to leadership change
Presidential system - Differences from a cabinet system Presidential system - The reality Presidential system - Democracies with a presidential system of government

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Afghanistan This article is part of the series: Politics of Afghanistan Political Parties edit Afghanistan held parliamentary and provincial council elections on 18 September 2005. On 9 October the first results were declared. Final results were delayed by accusations of fraud, and were finally announced on 12 November. Afghan parliamentary election 2005 - Results. Former warlords and thei ...

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Afghan parliamentary election 2005 - Results Afghan parliamentary election 2005 - Turnout Afghan parliamentary election 2005 - Electoral system Afghan parliamentary election 2005 - Sources and further reading

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Separation of powers (or trias politica, a term coined by Montesquieu) is a model of democracy that involves the separation of political power between three branches of the state: The Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. In the "separation of powers" model, each branch is prevented from exerting power in the field of responsibility of another branch. Nonetheless each branch of the state may be empowered to exert checks on the actions of the other branches. Separation of powers - Checks and balances. < ...

Including:

Separation of powers - Checks and balances Separation of powers - The three-branch system
Separation of powers - Case study: The United States Separation of powers - Three-branch systems around the world
Separation of powers - Parliamentary systems
Separation of powers - Case study: United Kingdom
Separation of powers - Taiwan Republic of China : Five branches Separation of powers - The press around the world Separation of powers - Criticisms Separation of powers - Related restraint-of-power concepts

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Head of state or chief of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office which serves as the chief public representative of monarchic or republican nation-state, federation, commonwealth or any other political state. His or her role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted ...

Including:

Head of state - Constitutional models
Head of state - Presidential system Head of state - Semi-presidential systems Head of state - Parliamentary system Head of state - Non-executive heads of state Head of state - Complications with categorisation
Head of state - Roles of the head of state
Head of state - Symbolic role Head of state - Chief diplomatic officer Head of state - Chief executive officer Head of state - Chief appointments officer Head of state - Legislative roles Head of state - Supreme commander of the military Head of state - Summoning and dissolving the legislature Head of state - Other prerogatives
Head of state - Selection and various types and styles of Heads of state
Head of state - Legitimacy & Term in office Head of state - Absent and Substitute heads of state Head of state - Theocratic Ecclesiastic and other Religious states Head of state - City states and crowned republics Head of state - Multiple or collective Heads of State Head of state - Curiosa and residual cases Head of state - Former heads of state

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Legislators in countries using the Westminster system, such as the United Kingdom, are also protected from civil action for slander and libel by their parliamentary immunity whilst they are in the House. See parliamentary privilege. In the run-up to the 2006 election in Canada, Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper denounced the ruling Liberal Party on the floor of the House of Commons, contending that the government ran "a massive corruption ring using organized crime to defraud taxpayers." Although the Liberal Party has th ...

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Parliamentary immunity, Parliamentary immunity - Westminster system countries, Parliamentary immunity - France, Parliamentary immunity - Irresponsibility, Parliamentary immunity - Inviolability, Parliamentary immunity - Controversy

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In parliamentary systems, government functions along the following lines: The formation of a government answerable to parliament by a member (sometimes the leader) of the party or parties; Full answerability of that government to parliament through The ability of parliament to pass a vote of no confidence. The requirement that the government gain and hold supply. Answerability for its actions to whichever representative legislative assembly (in a bicameral system often confusingly called the lower house, e.g ...

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Head of government, Head of government - Types and titles of Head of government, Head of government - A parliamentary prime minister, Head of government - Appointing the prime minister, Head of government - Removing the prime minister, Head of government - First among equals or dominating the cabinet?, Head of government - Official residence, Head of government - Sources and References

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The Constitution of Japan does not specify the number of members of each house of the Diet, the voting system, or the necessary qualifications of those who may vote or be returned in parliamentary elections, thus allowing all of these things to be determined by law. However it does guarantee universal adult suffrage and a secret ballot. It also insists that the electoral law must not discriminate in terms of "race, creed, sex, social status, f ...

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Diet of Japan, Diet of Japan - Composition, Diet of Japan - Powers, Diet of Japan - Activities, Diet of Japan - History

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Categorizing forms of government gives a general idea of the power structure of the governance of a country. However, the picture is more complicated than this, as every country’s system is unique, and in practice many represent a hybrid of different forms of government. For example, a system generally seen as a representative democracy (for instance Canada and the United States) may in fact also include measures providing for a degree of direct democracy in the form of referenda, for deliberative democracy in the form of the extensive processes r ...

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Form of government, Form of government - Types of government

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Critics generally claim three basic disadvantages for presidential systems: Tendency towards authoritarianism — some political scientists say that the presidentialism is not constitutionally stable. According to some political scientists, such as Fred Riggs, presidentialism has fallen into authoritarianism in every country it has been attempted, except the United States. Separation of powers — a presidential system establishes the presidency and the legislature as two parallel structures. Critics argue ...

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Presidential system, Presidential system - Types of presidents, Presidential system - Perceived advantages of presidential systems, Presidential system - Direct mandate, Presidential system - Separation of powers, Presidential system - Speed and decisiveness, Presidential system - Stability, Presidential system - Perceived disadvantages of presidential systems, Presidential system - Tendency towards authoritarianism, Presidential system - Separation of powers, Presidential system - Impediments to leadership change, Presidential system - Differences from a cabinet system, Presidential system - The reality, Presidential system - Democracies with a presidential system of government

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In reality, elements of both systems overlap. Though a president in a presidential system does not have to choose a government answerable to the legislature, the legislature may have the right to scrutinise his or her appointments to high governmental office, with the right, on some occasions, to block an appointment. In the United States, many appointments must be confirmed by the Senate. By contrast, though answerable to parliament, a parliamentary system's cabinet may be able to make use of the parliamentary 'whip' (an oblig ...

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Presidential system, Presidential system - Types of presidents, Presidential system - Perceived advantages of presidential systems, Presidential system - Direct mandate, Presidential system - Separation of powers, Presidential system - Speed and decisiveness, Presidential system - Stability, Presidential system - Perceived disadvantages of presidential systems, Presidential system - Tendency towards authoritarianism, Presidential system - Separation of powers, Presidential system - Impediments to leadership change, Presidential system - Differences from a cabinet system, Presidential system - The reality, Presidential system - Democracies with a presidential system of government

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United States of America, Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria, Indonesia, Philippines, Argentina, Peru, Chile, & Afghanistan, most states in the Americas. Note: Many legislators, including the President in the Philippines want a constitutional amendment to switch from a presidential to parliamentary form of government. ...

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Presidential system, Presidential system - Types of presidents, Presidential system - Perceived advantages of presidential systems, Presidential system - Direct mandate, Presidential system - Separation of powers, Presidential system - Speed and decisiveness, Presidential system - Stability, Presidential system - Perceived disadvantages of presidential systems, Presidential system - Tendency towards authoritarianism, Presidential system - Separation of powers, Presidential system - Impediments to leadership change, Presidential system - Differences from a cabinet system, Presidential system - The reality, Presidential system - Democracies with a presidential system of government

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Many countries with a president as head of state do not operate under what is described as a presidential system. Many parliamentary nations, Germany and Italy, for instance, have an office of president, but these presidents are merely figurehead heads of state, like constitutional monarchs, and not active, executive heads of government. In a full-fledged presidential system, a president would be chos ...

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Presidential system, Presidential system - Types of presidents, Presidential system - Perceived advantages of presidential systems, Presidential system - Direct mandate, Presidential system - Separation of powers, Presidential system - Speed and decisiveness, Presidential system - Stability, Presidential system - Perceived disadvantages of presidential systems, Presidential system - Tendency towards authoritarianism, Presidential system - Separation of powers, Presidential system - Impediments to leadership change, Presidential system - Differences from a cabinet system, Presidential system - The reality, Presidential system - Democracies with a presidential system of government

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In systems where the head of government possesses a large amount of power, he or she may be provided with an official residence, as with a head of state. Some well-known official residences of heads of government include: 10 Downing Street national Prime Minister in London, United Kingdom; and a country residence Chequers 24 Sussex Drive Prime Minister in the federal capital Ottawa, Canada) Kantei in Tokyo, Japan Kirribilli House (Sydney, Australia) in the largest city — and The Lodge (Canberra, Aust ...

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Head of government, Head of government - Types and titles of Head of government, Head of government - A parliamentary prime minister, Head of government - Appointing the prime minister, Head of government - Removing the prime minister, Head of government - First among equals or dominating the cabinet?, Head of government - Official residence, Head of government - Sources and References

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In parliamentary systems, government functions along the following lines: The formation of a government answerable to parliament by a member (often the leader) of the party or parties; Full answerability of that government to parliament through The ability of parliament to pass a vote of no confidence. The requirement that the government gain and hold supply. Answerability for its actions to whichever representative legislative assembly controls 'supply'. In a bicameral system, this is often the so-c ...

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Head of government, Head of government - Types and titles of Head of Government, Head of government - As political chief, Head of government - Under a dominant head of state, Head of government - Weak head of state, Head of government - Heads of State as Head of Government, Head of government - Parliamentary heads of government, Head of government - Appointment, Head of government - Removal, Head of government - First among equals or dominating the cabinet?, Head of government - Official residence, Head of government - Sources and References

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In systems where the head of government possesses a large amount of power, he or she may be provided with an official residence, as with a head of state. Some well-known official residences of heads of government include: 10 Downing Street national Prime Minister in London, United Kingdom; and a country residence Chequers 24 Sussex Drive Prime Minister in the federal capital Ottawa, Canada) Kantei in Tokyo, Japan Kirribilli House (Sydney, Australia) in the largest city — and The Lodge (Canberra, Aust ...

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Head of government, Head of government - Types and titles of Head of Government, Head of government - As political chief, Head of government - Under a dominant head of state, Head of government - Weak head of state, Head of government - Heads of State as Head of Government, Head of government - Parliamentary heads of government, Head of government - Appointment, Head of government - Removal, Head of government - First among equals or dominating the cabinet?, Head of government - Official residence, Head of government - Sources and References

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President - Presidential systems. In states with what is called a Presidential system of government, the President is also the head of government, as well as the head of state. Countries with such a system include the United States and most nations in Latin America. In this system the office of President is very powerful, both in practice and theory. In the United States, the President is indirectly elected by the U.S. Electoral College made up of electors chosen by voters in the presidential election. In ...

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President, President - History, President - Presidents in democratic countries and international organizations, President - Presidential systems, President - Parliamentary systems, President - Semi-presidential systems, President - Collective Presidency, President - Presidents in dictatorships, President - Presidential symbols, President - Presidential chronologies of existing recognised countries, President - Specific information, President - Additional reading, President - Non-governmental presidents

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Supporters generally claim four basic advantages for presidential systems: Direct mandate — in a presidential system, the president is generally elected directly by the people. To some, this makes the president's power more legitimate than that of a leader appointed indirectly. Separation of powers — a presidential system establishes the presidency and the legislature as two parallel structures. Supporters of the system claim that this arrangement allows each structure to supervise the other, preventin ...

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Presidential system, Presidential system - Types of presidents, Presidential system - Perceived advantages of presidential systems, Presidential system - Direct mandate, Presidential system - Separation of powers, Presidential system - Speed and decisiveness, Presidential system - Stability, Presidential system - Perceived disadvantages of presidential systems, Presidential system - Tendency towards authoritarianism, Presidential system - Separation of powers, Presidential system - Impediments to leadership change, Presidential system - Differences from a cabinet system, Presidential system - The reality, Presidential system - Democracies with a presidential system of government

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