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Presidential vs. Parliamentary
Democracy
Overview
Dimensions for evaluating democratic institutions. Normative Positive
Defining presidential, parliamentary, and mixed democracies
How do they work? Implications of executive-legislative
relations for policies and stability of democracy.
Dimensions for analyzing democratic institutions
Protection of liberty Protection of minorities
Decisiveness, especially under stress Credibility of commitments Stability Quality of democracy
Representativeness Accountability Rent-seeking and corruption
Dimensions for analyzing democratic institutions (cont.)
Public versus private goods Broad versus targeted programs and
expenditures The extent of redistribution Budget deficits Size of government as a share of
GDP
What are the features that distinguish parliamentary and presidential regimes?
What are the features that distinguish parliamentary and presidential regimes?
Crucial questions: How is the executive selected? Is the executive dependent on legislative
confidence?
What about France?
French president
French Prime Minister
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Protection of liberty, prevention of tyranny.
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Protection of liberty, prevention of tyranny. Some issues: ▪ Madison and Hamilton: Ambition should
counteract ambition▪ But tyranny in parliamentary democracies?▪ Too much power in hands of president?
Russia? Too easy to fall into authoritarianism?
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Decisiveness, especially under stress.
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Decisiveness, especially under stress. Some issues:▪ Madison and Hamilton again: Good to have
one individual rather than collegial executive▪ Can’t a PM be decisive?▪ What about presidents without legislative
backing?
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Credibility of commitments, policy stability
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Credibility of commitments, policy stability Some issues:▪ Uncertainty about coalitions▪ Decree authority▪ Gridlock
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Stability of democracy. What did you learn in the readings?
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Stability of democracy. What did you learn in the readings? Why do presidential democracies
fail? Gridlock, divided government▪ Why do presidential systems end up with
divided government?
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Stability of democracy. What did you learn in the readings? Why do presidential democracies
fail? Gridlock, divided government▪ Why do presidential systems end up with
divided government?▪ Geography▪ Balancing
Why are presidential systems so fragmented?
The disciplining role of the no-confidence procedure
What incentives do individual members of the legislature face?
Presidentialism and gridlock
Is there a problem with presidential democracy, or perhaps a problem with multi-party presidential democracy?
How do presidents get things done?
In the United States? In a multi-party presidential system
like Brazil?
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Rent-seeking and corruption?
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Rent-seeking and corruption? Some issues:▪ Parliamentarism: Politicians can collude, less
oversight because of lacking division of power▪ But what about the problem of decree
authority under presidentialism?
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
Pork versus national collective goods
Dimensions for evaluating institutions
The “quality” of democracy What did Bagehot say?
Accountability Responsiveness
Endogenous institutions
What kinds of countries choose presidentialism?
Endogenous institutions
What kinds of countries choose presidentialism? Moments when demands for strong
leadership are overwhelming. Constitutions written by “strongmen”
(De Gaul, Yeltsin). History of military involvement in
politics. Large and diverse countries?