Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Initial Post Instructions
Discuss the differences and similarities between the presidential and parliamentary systems, including the executive and legislative branches. Which system do you feel serves its citizen better? Why? Use evidence (cite sources) to support your response from assigned readings or online lessons, and at least one outside scholarly source.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least two peers or one peer and the instructor. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. Minimum of 1 scholarly source which can include your textbook or assigned readings or may be from your additional scholarly research.
Writing Requirements
answer 1:
Hi All,
Both the presidential and parliamentary are popular types of democratic governments (The Borgen Project, 2019). Dissimilarities between the parliamentary system and the presidential system include: the parliamentary system makes up the legislative branch of government. The head of government is the Prime Minister who has no time limit on how long they can stay in office and is elected by parliament members and can only be removed by the parliament. Citizens vote for members of the parliament (The Borgen Project, 2019). Whereas the presidential system has an executive branch that only includes the president and is elected by citizens for a max of 2 terms, The presidential system is autonomous of the legislative branch, and the president can be impeached at any time (The Borgen Project, 2019).
In the Parliamentary system, the legislative branch is either unicameral or bicameral. Many governments prefer a two-house legislative branch to avoid total power in one body and ensure the federal government can be held accountable for its actions (Whitman Cobb, W. N., 2020). The Prime Minister writes laws together with the legislature. In presidential systems, the legislative branch writes laws for a president to approve. Though the president may suggest laws, it is ultimately the legislative branch that will write them (Whitman Cobb, W. N., 2020).
Is one system better than the other? Both government systems have strengths in different areas. Despite all the differences between the parliamentary system and the presidential system, it is ultimately the citizens who hold the power through the voting process (The Borgen Project, 2019).
Susan
Whitman Cobb, W. N. (2020). Political science today (1st ed.). Washington, DC: Sage, CQ Press.
answer 2:
Hello Class and Professor
Discuss the differences and similarities between the presidential and parliamentary systems, including the executive and legislative branches.
The executive branch of the presidential system consists of one person, the President. The executive branch of the parliamentary system consists of two people. The Prime Minister and the head of state. According to Gaddipati (2019), in the presidential system, the president or head of state, is elected by the citizens. They serve for a maximum of two term limits. In the parliamentary system, there is a distinction between head of government and head of state. The head of government is the Prime Minister. The head of Parliament is the head of state. The Prime Minister is elected by members of Parliament. Citizens elect members of Parliament. The Prime Minister has no term limit. Both systems are democracies.
Chamberlain University College of Nursing (2021) stated that the legislative branch can be either unicameral or bicameral. Unicameral contains one legislative house. Bicameral contains two legislative houses. The U.S presidential system has the upper house, the Senate and the lower house, the House of Representatives. Members of the Senate and House of Representatives are elected by the citizens and are elected every six years for the Senate and every two years for the house. The British Parliament system has the upper house, the House of Lords, and the lower house, the House of Commons. The House of Lords serve a 15-year term. The House of Commons are elected every five years (Elgie, 2016).
Which system do you feel serves its citizens better? Why?
I believe the presidential system serves its citizens better than the parliamentary system. While both systems are democracies and both systems have individual strengths, I prefer the citizens voting for each member of congress. I also like the fact that in the presidential system, the president is independent of the legislature. I also like the fact that the president is elected every four years and can only serve consecutively for eight years. An additional aspect I like is that the president is held to the Constitution and members of Congress can keep a check on the power of the president.
Lessons: