Two of the most popular types of democracy are the presidential
and parliamentary government systems.
All nations need some sort of government to avoid anarchy.
Democratic governments are those that permit the nation's citizens
to manage their government either directly or through elected
representatives. (Like USA)
PresidentialThe office of President characterizes the
presidential system. The President is both the chief executive and
the head of state. The President is unique in that he or she is
elected independently of the legislature.
PresidentialThe powers invested in the President are usually
balanced against those vested in the legislature. This means that
the presidents powers are checked by the legislature.We call this
system checks and balances. Remember this from 5th grade?The
American president is selected independently of Congress. The
American president is selected by the Electoral College, which is a
group of people different from Congress. The head of government
serves a fixed term of office.
ParliamentaryIn parliamentary governments the head of state and
the chief executive are two separate offices.
The most striking difference between presidential and
parliamentary systems is in the election of the chief executive. In
parliament systems, the chief executive is not chosen by the people
but by the legislature.
In parliamentary systems, the title of the head of government is
usually "Prime Minister". The head of government serves an
indefinite term of office. What does indefinite mean?
