Parliamentary vs Presidential Government
If you interested in politics, here is an opportunity for you to know the difference between parliamentary and presidential government. Countries around the world have government systems; some are governed by a president or a head of state, while some are ruled by the house or a parliament. Apart from a good number of differences between a parliamentary system and a presidential government,the prime difference between a parliamentary and a presidential government is the fact that in a parliamentary government the prime minister is the one who has the ruling powers while a president has the superior power in a presidential government system. This article seeks to explore what is meant by these two types of government systems and the differences between parliamentary and presidential government.
What is a Parliamentary Government?
A parliamentary government or a parliamentary system is referred to as the executive branch of the government of which the legitimacy is derived from the legislature (parliament) itself. The head of government in a parliamentary system is the prime minister, but the head of state is a different person. The most known example of a country with a parliamentary system is Great Britain. There, the head of government is the prime minister and the head of state is the British monarchy. Britain is also known as the origin of this system. Speaking of the features of a parliamentary system, the legislature has the most superior power in the country and a prime minister is elected by a voting system cast by the members of the parliament. Because of this last fact, the prime minister is majorly accountable to the parliament for the actions taken by the government.
What is a Presidential Government?
Unlike a parliamentary government, a presidential government is a governmental body of which the leader is the president. The president is elected by the votes cast by the public and hence he/she is more answerable to the public rather than to the parliament. In a presidential government, the president has the most superior power and often the legislature too is beneath the president, i.e., even though parliament may pass laws, the president can veto them; the president nominates certain public officials, etc.
What is the difference between Parliamentary and Presidential Government?
• In a parliamentary government, the two main leaders, a head of state and a head of government, are not the same, but in a presidential government one person holds both powerful positions.
• In a parliamentary government, the head of government is a prime minister whereas in a presidential government it is a president.
• The prime minister is a member of the parliament who is elected upon by fellow congress members while a president is not always considered a member of the parliament.
• In a parliamentary government, the head of state is usually someone from the royal bloodline; a king, a queen, a prince or a princess.
• In a parliamentary government, the parliament is inferior to the legislature of the country while the situation may be different in a presidential government.
• A prime minister, for the actions taken by the government, is answerable to the parliament whereas a president is rather responsible to the public who cast their vote on him/her.
Reviewing the above mentioned key differences, it is comprehensible that a parliamentary government system differs from a presidential government is many ways, structure, superior power, and features of functioning.