• 5.2: Legislatures vs. Parliaments

    • A Primer on Politics, v0.0: “Chapter 7, Section 1: Legislatures” pan>

      So far in Unit 5, we’ve learned about two ways for states to arrange power: in unitary systems power is centralized in a national or federal government, while in federal systems power is shared between a central government and subunits of government. In this section, we’re going to explore the different ways states arrange power among the three primary branches of government. Generally speaking, executive branches of government enforce laws, judicial branches interpret laws, while legislatures make laws. As this section explains, in presidential systems, the executive branch and legislative branches are separate. In parliamentary systems, the executive and legislative branches are fused.

    • Saylor Academy's "Parliaments" Page

      This article expands on the unique features of parliamentary systems. Pay particular attention to the discussion of the supremacy of parliament over other branches of government, and the concept of a “divided executive.” What are some of the other key differences between parliaments and legislatures?

    • Congressional Research Service: R. Eric Petersen and Paul S. Rundquist's "Parliament and Congress: A Brief Comparison of the British House of Commons and the U.S. House of Representatives" URL

      Almost every country has a legislature or parliament that is unique to that country. Read this report, which discusses some of the most common differences between the two systems, using the United States' legislature and Great Britain's parliament as examples.