The difference between presidentialism and parliamentarianism

SS1 GOVERNMENT
2nd Term
The difference between presidentialism and parliamentarianism
Presidential system
Cabinet system
The executive president is both head of state and head of government
The Queen or president is the head of state while the prime minister is the head of government
The people elect the president in a general election
the leader of the party that won the election is appointed the Prime minister
There is separation of power
There is fusion of power
Individual responsibility applies
Collective responsibility applies
Non-party members can be appointed ministers
Ministers can only be party members in the parliament
The president and the ministers are not part of the legislature
The prime minister and his ministers are part of the legislature
The president can be removed by the legislative through the process of Impeachment
The parliament can remove the prime minister by passing a vote of no confidence in the cabinet
There is supremacy of the constitution
There is supremacy of the parliament
There are effective checks and balances among the three organs of government
Fusion of power in the legislature does not allow effective checks and balance

The prime minister

SS1 GOVERNMENT
2nd Term
The prime minister
(1)He is the head of government and the chief executive of the state.
(2) he is the leader of the of the party that won the highest number of seats in parliament.
(3) He chairs every cabinet meeting.
(4) he appoints his ministers from his party members in the parliament.
(5) He can dismiss a minister from his cabinet.
(6)he represents his country in international conferences
(7) He supervises the ministers and the ministries and other government departments

Collective responsibility and individual responsibility

SS1 GOVERNMENT
2nd Term
Collective responsibility and individual responsibility
Both principles refer to the cabinet of ministers, but they are features of two different systems of government: collective responsibility is applied in parliamentary system while individual responsibility is applied in presidential system. Collective responsibility implies that for each decision reached in the cabinet, all its members are responsible. If the prime minister dies or resigns, the whole members of the cabinet must also resign, and that government ceases to be in power. The Queen or President formally dissolves the parliament for a fresh election. Collective responsibility also implies that when the parliament casts a vote of no confidence on the cabinet, all the members are removed at once.
On the other hand, individual responsibility implies that each minister is held individually responsible for any decision he makes in his department or ministry if he is found wanting, he is dismissed and his dismissal doesn’t affect the other ministers.

MONARCHY

SS1 GOVERNMENT 2nd Term MONARCHY Definition : Monarchy is a type of government by one individual. This individual may be a king, quee...