5.3: Presidents vs. Prime Ministers
- Read the section “Systems of Democracy” to the end. This article further explains the difference between legislatures and parliaments, but it also describes the differences between presidents and prime ministers. Parliamentary styles of government have “split” executives, in which one person serves as the head of state, and another person serves as head of government. How is this different than a presidential system? What do you think are the benefits and drawbacks to each type of system?
Read this full section to learn more about the many roles of the U.S. President. Pay particular attention to the “Chief Executive” section and the “Head of State” section. What are the differences between these two roles? Which type of system, parliamentary or presidential, has a more powerful executive?
This article explains the role and powers of the office of the Prime Minister in the United Kingdom. The author argues that directly electing the Prime Minister would lead to accountability and better separation of powers, because this would lead to “widely supported political institutions working together in partnership.” However, the U.S. has strict separation of powers, and this often leads to gridlock between the executive and legislative branches. Both presidential and parliamentary systems have unique strengths and weaknesses. Can you name an example of a strength and a weakness of each system?