Presidentialism and Its Alternatives

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Presidentialism and Its Alternatives

• Or, why dont the Brits have a President?

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I. What are the alternatives?

• Presidential System
• President is both head of state and head of
  government
• Chosen in a national election
• Shares some powers with legislature, but also has
  unique powers and high degree of autonomy.
• Serves a fixed term of office

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5. The US Model A President Wears Many Hats

• Presidential roles
• Chief executive
• Chief of state (symbolic head)
• Commander-in-Chief of military
• Chief diplomat
• Legislative role
• Head of political party

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B. Parliamentary System

• Chief executive is a member of parliament (MP)
  leader of majority party. Called prime minister
  (PM) or premier.
• PM governs through Cabinet ministers (also MPs).
  Ministers typically have real power over
  agencies.
• Not directly elected chosen by majority party
  in Parliament.
• Terms set by law but early elections possible
  (no confidence motion, snap elections).
• Fusion of powers instead of separation of powers
  legislature is supreme

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C. Dual Executive

• Hybrid of President/Parliament Country has both
  President and PM.
• President usually head of state, represents
  country, often concludes treaties
• PM typically runs the ministries and
  administration, oversees bureaucracy
• May be Presidency-dominated (France) or
  PM-dominated (Chancellorship in Germany)

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II. Puzzle Why is Presidentialism so Rare?

• Of 121 electoral democracies in 2004
• 60 Dual Executive
• 56 Parliamentary
• 5 Presidential

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A. Which alternatives work best?

• Ignore dual executive for now pit one pure
  form against the other

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1. Advantages and Disadvantages

• Preface Just because theres something on either
  side of the scale doesnt mean they are balanced
• Acknowledge /- of each system, but
• Weigh /- to find better system

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2. Evaluating the Dual Executive

• Remedies some problems (those in which difference
  can be split)
• Cannot remedy others (timing of elections,
  personalism)
• Creates new one Co-Habitation

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3. Empirical Research Presidential Systems Fail

• Out of 31 countries that have had continuous
  democracy since 1967, only 4 have presidential
  systems (Columbia, Costa Rica, United States
  Venezuela and Venezuela is barely democratic)
• Only 7 out of 31 ( 22.6) presidential
  democracies have endured at least 25 consecutive
  years, compared with 25 of 44 (56.8)
  parliamentary systems.

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III. So why does it work so well here?