Please write a preface for my icse history project(more than 100 words) topic "Presidential vs Parliamentary form of government".
Answers
Our Constitution creates an office of the President but the form of Government is not Presidential. It would be better to understand and distinguish between the Presidential and Parliamentary forms of Government. The main characteristics of the Presidential type of Government are:
The President is the head of the State and also the head of the Government. He is not only the head of the political system but also of the national life. He is the real executive and not merely notional executive. The powers vested in him are in practice actually exercised by him.
All executive powers are vested in the President. The cabinet appointed by President is merely to advise him. He is not bound by their advice. He may obtain their advice and yet may choose to act on his own judgement.
The President is elected directly by the people who constitute the electorate. The term of the office of the President is not dependent on the will of the legislature. The legislature does not elect the President and the legislature cannot seek to oust him from office.
The President and the members of the cabinet are not members of legislature. The President has no power to dissolve the legislature before the expiry of its term. The legislature cannot terminate the term of the President except by way of impeachment. In this way the President and the legislature are elected for fixed terms and are independent of each other.