different between parliamentary democracy and presidential democracy
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Answer:
Presidential form of government is found in USA, Afghanistan, Argentina and many other countries. In this system, the separation of powers is the main theme and also, the President is elected directly by the people and can select his cabinet as he wishes and generally it is done by the spoils system. Frequent shutdowns because of the disruptions between the executive and the parliament are a reality and also a nightmare as it impedes the functioning of the government business. However, as the President is free from the party issues he can function freely but the fact remains that unchecked he can become autocratic.
Parliamentary system is found in countries like India, Nepal, Pakistan and several others. In this, the fusion of powers takes place and the Prime Minister is elected from the MPs. Also, if the country is republic/ monarchy there is a President/King at the top. The executive is responsible to the legislature and also the Prime Minister selects his ministers from the legislature. As the executive comes from the legislature, the PM is not free from the party issues and therefore, there are several checks and balances and executive work is hampered to a certain extent.
In India, while we follow the Parliamentary system it has been found that the elections in the recent past are increasingly becoming Presidential in style and form due to which several analysts say that it is better if India adopts Presidential system. However, the point these analysts miss is that India is a country of diversity and it would not be feasible to have the latter system which might help Presidents to become autocratic. This was also discussed in detail by the Constituent Assembly and was discarded due to the above mentioned points.
Presidential Democracy vs. Parliamentary Democracy
A Presidential system is also called a congressional system. It refers to a system of governance in which the President is the Chief Executive and is elected directly by the people. The head of the government thus exists separately from the legislature. It is a form of government where the three branches (legislature, executive and judiciary) exist separately and cannot dismiss or dissolve the other branch. While the legislature makes the laws, the President enforces them and it is the courts that are responsible for exercising judicial duties.
A Parliamentary form of democracy is also known as the Cabinet form of government or the ‘Responsible Government’. It refers to a system of governance in which the citizens elect representatives to the legislative Parliament. This Parliament is responsible to make the decisions and laws for the state. It is also directly answerable to the people.