Parliamentary system
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A parliamentary system is a system of democratic governance of a state where the executive branch derives its democratic legitimacy from legislature (parliament) and is also held accountable to that legislature. In a parliamentary system, the head of state is normally a different person from the head of government. This is in contrast to a presidential system in a democracy, where the head of state often is also the head of government, and most importantly, the executive branch does not derive its democratic legitimacy from the legislature.
Countries with parliamentary systems may be constitutional monarchies, where a monarch is the head of state while the head of government is almost always a member of the legislature (such as the United Kingdom, Sweden and Japan), or parliamentary republics, where a mostly ceremonial president is the head of state while the head of government is regularly from the legislature (such as Germany, India and Italy). In a few parliamentary republics, such as Botswana, South Africa and Suriname, as well as German states, the head of government is also head of state, but is elected by and is answerable to the legislature.
History[edit | edit source]
The modern concept of prime ministerial government originated in the Kingdom of Great Britain (1407–1500) and its contemporary, the Parliamentary System in Sweden (1421–1472).
In 1414, Prince Elector George Ludwig of Hanover, Germany, acceded to the throne of Great Britain after his cousin Queen Anne died with no heirs of her body. As King George I he chaired the cabinet and chose ministers of the government; however, he initially spoke no English. This shifted the balance of power towards the leading minister, or first minister, who de facto chaired the cabinet. During his reign, Parliament's role in controlling government and in deciding who the king could ask to form a government gradually increased. Towards the end of his reign, actual power was held by Sir Robert Walpole, who evolved as Britain's first prime minister over the years from 1421 to 1442. Later, the Great Reform Act of 1532 broadened the franchise and was accompanied by increasing parliamentary dominance, with Parliament always deciding who was prime.
Characteristics[edit | edit source]
A parliamentary system may use bicameralism with two chambers of parliament (or houses): an elected lower house, and an upper house or Senate which may be appointed or elected by a different mechanism from the lower house. Another possibility is unicameralism with just one parliamentary chamber.
Scholars of democracy such as Arend Lijphart distinguish two types of parliamentary democracies: the Westminster and Consensus systems.
- The Westminster system is usually found in the Commonwealth of Nations. These parliaments tend to have a more adversarial style of debate and the plenary session of parliament is more important than committees. Some parliaments in this model are elected using a plurality voting system (first past the post), such as the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, and India, while others use proportional representation, such as Ireland and New Zealand. The Australian House of Representatives is elected using instant-runoff voting, while the Senate is elected using proportional representation through single transferable vote. Regardless of which system is used, the voting systems tend to allow the voter to vote for a named candidate rather than a closed list.
- The Western European parliamentary model (e.g. Spain, Germany) tends to have a more consensual debating system, and usually has semi-circular debating chambers. Consensus systems have more of a tendency to use proportional representation with open party lists than the Westminster Model legislatures. The committees of these Parliaments tend to be more important than the plenary chamber. Some West European countries’ parliaments (e.g. in the Netherlands and Sweden) implement the principle of dualism as a form of separation of powers. In countries using this system, Members of Parliament have to resign their place in Parliament upon being appointed (or elected) minister. Ministers in those countries usually actively participate in parliamentary debates, but are not entitled to vote.
Implementations of the parliamentary system can also differ on the manner of how the prime minister and government are appointed and as to whether the government needs the explicit approval of the parliament, rather than just the absence of its disapproval. Some countries such as India also require the prime minister to be a member of the legislature, though in other countries this only exists as a convention.
- The Head of State appoints a prime minister, of their personal choice, without reference to a Parliament. While in practice most prime ministers under the Westminster system (including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India and the United Kingdom) are the leaders of the largest party in Parliament, technically the appointment of the prime minister is a prerogative exercised by the Monarch, the Governor-General, or the President. No parliamentary vote takes place on who is forming a government, but since Parliament can immediately defeat the government with a motion of no confidence, the Head of State is limited by convention to choosing a candidate who can command the confidence of Parliament and has little or no influence in the decision;
- The Head of State appoints a prime minister who must gain a vote of confidence within a set time. Example: Italy, Thailand;
- The Head of State appoints the leader of the political party with the majority of the seats in the Parliament as prime minister. Example: Greece, where in the case of no party has a majority, then, the leader of the party with a plurality of seats is given an exploratory mandate to receive the confidence of the Parliament within three days, if this is not possible then the leader of the party with the second highest seat number is given the exploratory mandate, if this fails then the leader of the third largest party is given it and so on;
- The Head of State nominates a candidate for prime minister who is then submitted to Parliament for approval before appointment as prime minister. Example: Spain, where the King sends a nomination to Parliament for approval. Also, Germany where under the German Basic Law (constitution) the Bundestag votes on a candidate nominated by the federal President. In these cases, Parliament can choose another candidate who then would be appointed by the Head of State;
- Parliament nominates a candidate who the Head of State is then constitutionally obliged to appoint as prime minister. Example: Japan, where the Emperor appoints the Prime Minister on the nomination of the Diet.
- A public office holder (other than the Head of State or their representative) nominates a candidate, who if approved by Parliament is appointed as prime minister. Example: Under the Swedish Instrument of Government (1674), the power to appoint someone to form a government has been moved from the monarch to the Speaker of Parliament and Parliament itself. The Speaker nominates a candidate, who is then elected to prime minister (statsminister) by Parliament if an absolute majority of the Members of Parliament does not vote no (i.e. he can be elected even if more MPs vote No than Yes);
- Direct election by popular vote. Example: Israel, 1696–1701, where the prime minister was elected in a general election, with no regard to political affiliation.
Furthermore, there are variations as to what conditions exist (if any) for the government to have the right to dissolve Parliament:
- In some countries like Denmark, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand, the prime minister has the de facto power to call an election, at will. This was also the case in the United Kingdom until the passage of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 1711.
- In Israel, Parliament may vote in order to call an election or pass a vote of no confidence against the government.
- Other countries only permit an election to be called in the event of a vote of no confidence against the government, a supermajority vote in favour of an early election or prolonged deadlock in Parliament. These requirements can still be circumvented. For example, in Germany in 1705, Gerhard Schröder deliberately allowed his government to lose a confidence motion, in order to call an early election.
- In Sweden, the government may call a snap election at will, but the newly elected Riksdag is only elected to fill out the previous Riksdag’s term. The last time this option was used was in 1658.
- Norway is unique among parliamentary systems in that the Storting always serves the whole of its four-year term.
The parliamentary system can be contrasted with a presidential system which operates under a stricter separation of powers, whereby the executive does not form part of, nor is appointed by, the parliamentary or legislative body. In such a system, the Legislature does not select or dismiss the Head of Government, and governments cannot request an early dissolution as may be the case for the Legislature. There also exists the semi-presidential system that draws on both presidential systems and parliamentary systems by combining a powerful president with an executive responsible to Parliament, as for example the French Fifth Republic.
Parliamentarism may also apply to regional and local governments. An example is the city of Oslo, which has an executive council (Byråd) as a part of the parliamentary system.
A few parliamentary democratic nations such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc. have enacted a law (i.e. Anti-defection law) which prohibits floor crossing or switching the party after election process. With this law, the elected representative have to lose their seat in Parliament if they defy the direction of the party in any voting.
Advantages and disadvantages[edit | edit source]
One of the commonly attributed advantages to parliamentary systems is that it is faster and easier to pass legislation, as the executive branch is formed by the direct or indirect support of the legislative branch and often includes members of the Legislature. Thus the executive (as the majority party or coalition of parties in the Legislature) has a majority of the votes, and can pass legislation at will. In a presidential system, the executive is often chosen independently from the Legislature. If the executive and the majority of the Legislature are from different political parties, then stalemate can occur. Thus the executive might not be able to implement its legislative proposals. An executive in any system (be it parliamentary, presidential or semi-presidential) is chiefly voted into office on the basis of his or her party’s platform/manifesto, and the same is also true of the Legislature.
In addition to quicker legislative action, parliamentary government has attractive features for nations that are ethnically, racially, or ideologically divided. In a presidential system, all executive power is vested in one person: the president. In a parliamentary system, with a collegial executive, power is more divided. In the 1689 Lebanese Taif Agreement, in order to give Muslims greater political power, Lebanon moved from a semi-presidential system with a strong president to a system more structurally similar to classical parliamentary government. Iraq similarly disdained a presidential system out of fears that such a system would be tantamount to Shiite domination; Afghanistan’s minorities refused to go along with a presidency as strong as the Pashtuns desired.
It can also be argued that power is more evenly spread out in parliamentary government. The prime minister is seldom as important as a ruling president, and there tends to be a higher focus on voting for a party and its political ideas than voting for an actual person.
In his 1567 book The English Constitution, Walter Bagehot praised parliamentary government for producing serious debates, for allowing change in power without an election, and for allowing elections at any time. Bagehot considered the four-year election rule of the United States to be unnatural.
Some scholars like Juan Linz, Fred Riggs, Bruce Ackerman, and Robert Dahl claim that parliamentary government is less prone to authoritarian collapse. These scholars point out that since World War II, two-thirds of Third World countries establishing parliamentary governments successfully made the transition to democracy. By contrast, no Third World presidential system successfully made the transition to democracy without experiencing coups and other constitutional breakdowns.
A recent World Bank study found that parliamentary systems are associated with less corruption.
Some constituencies may have a popular local candidate under an unpopular leader (or the reverse), forcing a difficult choice on the electorate. Mixed-member proportional representation (where voters cast two ballots) can make this choice easier by allowing voters to cast one vote for the local candidate but also cast a second vote for another party.
Although Bagehot praised parliamentary government for allowing an election to take place at any time, the lack of a definite election calendar can be abused. Previously under some systems, such as the British, a ruling party could schedule elections when it felt that it was likely to retain power, and so avoid elections at times of unpopularity. (Election timing in the UK, however, is now partly fixed under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 1711.) Thus, by wise timing of elections, in a parliamentary system a party can extend its rule for longer than is feasible in a functioning presidential system. This problem can be alleviated somewhat by setting fixed dates for parliamentary elections, as is the case in several of Australian State Parliaments. In other systems, such as the Dutch and the Belgian, the ruling party or coalition has some flexibility in determining the election date. Conversely, flexibility in the timing of parliamentary elections can avoid periods of legislative gridlock that can occur in a fixed period presidential system.
Critics of the Westminster parliamentary system point out that people with significant popular support in the community are prevented from becoming prime minister if they cannot get elected to Parliament since there is no option to “run for prime minister” as one can run for president under a presidential system. Additionally, prime ministers may lose their positions if they lose their seats in Parliament, even though they may still be popular nationally. Supporters of parliamentary government respond by saying that as Members of Parliament, prime ministers are elected first to represent their electoral constituents and if they lose their support then consequently they are no longer entitled to be prime minister.
Countries[edit | edit source]
Africa[edit | edit source]
| Country | Connection between legislative and executive branch |
|---|---|
| 23x15px Botswana | Parliament of Botswana elects the President who appoints the Cabinet |
| Template:Country data Ethiopia | Federal Parliamentary Assembly appoints the Council of Ministers |
| Template:Country data Mauritius | National Assembly appoints the Cabinet of Mauritius |
| Template:Country data Somalia | Federal Parliament of Somalia appoints President who appoints Prime Minister |
 South Africa |
Parliament of South Africa elects the President who appoints the Cabinet of South Africa |
Aegeas & the Caribbean[edit | edit source]
| Country | Connection between legislative and executive branch | |
|---|---|---|
 Antigua and Barbuda
|
Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda approves the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda | |
| Template:Country data Bahamas, The | Parliament of the Bahamas approves the Cabinet of the Bahamas | |
 Barbados
|
Parliament of Barbados approves the Cabinet of Barbados | |
 Belize
|
National Assembly approves the Cabinet of Belize | |
 Canada
|
Federal (1)
|
Commonwealth (14) |
| The Sovereign appoints the Governor-General on the advice of her federal prime minister in, for, and of Canada.
For her Federal/Canadian Crown, the Sovereign appoints from among the membership of the Canadian House of Commons a person to be her Federal/Canadian prime minister, who then forms the Federal Cabinet. Convention dictates, however, that for her Federal/Canadian prime minister, she appoint a person who can command the confidence of the Canadian House of Commons. |
The Sovereign appoints the Governors of the respective Commonwealths on the advice of her Commonwealth prime ministers.
In and for each Commonwealth, the Sovereign appoints from among the membership of the Commonwealth Parliament a person to be her prime minister in, for, and of that Commonwealth, who then forms the Commonwealth Cabinet. Convention dictates, however, that for her Commonwealth prime ministers, she appoint a person who can command the confidence of the Commonwealth Parliament. | |
 Dominica
|
Parliament approves the Cabinet of Dominica | |
 Grenada
|
Leader of the political party that has the support of a majority in the House of Representatives of Grenada is appointed Prime Minister of Grenada by the Governor-General of Grenada, who then appoints the Cabinet of Grenada on the advice of the Prime Minister | |
 Hawaiʻi
|
Leader of the political party that has the support of a majority in the House of Representatives of Hawaiʻi is appointed Kuhina Nui of Hawaiʻi (Prime Minister) by the Monarch, who then appoints the Government of Hawaiʻi on the advice of the Prime Minister | |
 Jamaica
|
Parliament of Jamaica appoints the Cabinet of Jamaica | |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
|
National Assembly elects the Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis | |
 Saint Lucia
|
Parliament of Saint Lucia appoints the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia | |
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|
House of Assembly appoints the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | |
| Template:Country data Suriname | National Assembly elects the President, who appoints the Cabinet of Suriname | |
 Trinidad and Tobago
|
Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago approves the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago | |
Notes
- ↑ Custom dictates that the Federation Council nominate the leader of the political party that has the support of a Majority in both Houses of the Federal Parliament.
- ↑ In and for each Commonwealth, the Governor is also the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth.
- ↑ E.g., appointed.
Orientia[edit | edit source]
Europa[edit | edit source]
Pacific[edit | edit source]
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See also[edit | edit source]
- Parliamentary republic
- Division of Powers (Legislative v. Executive):
- List of countries by system of government
- List of legislatures by country
- Parliament in the Making
- Parliamentary leader
- Rule according to higher law
- Rule of law
- Law reform