Introduction
Features of Parliamentary and Presidential System of Government
| Indian Parliamentary Government |
American Presidential Government |
Nominal & Real (Dual) Executives
- The President is the Nominal executive (de jure), Head of State, while the Prime Minister is the Real executive (de facto), Head of Government.
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- The President is both the Head of State and Head of the Government.
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Majority Party Rule
- The political party with majority seats in Lok Sabha forms the government.
- The leader of that party is appointed as PM by the President, and Ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the PM.
- If no single party secures a majority, the President invites a coalition of parties.
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- The President is elected by the electoral college for a fixed term of four years.
- The President cannot be removed by Congress except by impeachment for a grave unconstitutional act.
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Collective Responsibility
- The bedrock of parliamentary government.
- Article 75: The Council of Ministers (CoM) are collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. [UPSC 2015]
- Lok Sabha can remove CoM by passing a no-confidence motion.
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- The President and his secretaries are not responsible to Congress for their acts.
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- Political Homogeneity
- Single Party Majority: Members of CoM are from the same political party – same ideology.
- Coalition Government: Council of ministers are bounded by consensus.
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- The cabinet is a Non-elected advisory body.
- It is selected and appointed by the President.
- Responsible only for him.
- Removed by him.
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- Double Membership
- Ministers are members of both the legislature and the executive.
- A Minister who is not a member of the parliament for six consecutive months ceases to be a minister.
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- The President and his Secretaries are not members of Congress, nor do they attend its sessions.
- There is a complete Separation of Power between the legislature and the executive.
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- Dissolution of Lower House
- The President can dissolve Lok Sabha before the expiry of the term on the recommendation of the PM.
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- The President cannot dissolve the House of Representatives (Lower House of Congress).
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Merits & Demerits of Presidential Government
| Merits |
Demerits |
- Stable government.
- Definiteness in policies.
- Based on separation of powers.
- Government by experts.
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- Conflict between legislature and executive.
- Non-responsible government.
- May lead to autocracy.
- Narrow representation.
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Merits & Demerits of the Parliamentary System
| Merits |
Demerits |
Harmony Between Legislature & Executive
- Cooperation and interdependence among the executive and legislature.
- Less dispute and conflict between two organs.
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Unstable Government
- Govt. may lose its majority due to no-confidence motion, political defection or breakdown of coalition.
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Responsible Government
- Ministers are responsible to the Parliament for their acts. [UPSC 2020]
- Parliament’s control over the executive: Question Hour, discussions, debates, adjournment motion, no-confidence motion.
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No Continuity in Policies
- Change in government brings a change in policies.
- This is a roadblock in policy formulation & implementation in the long term.
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Prevents Despotism
- Executive authority is not vested in a single person but in CoM.
- Prevents dictatorship of the executive.
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Dictatorship of Cabinet
- Ruling party with an absolute majority in the cabinet is all powerful.
- All policies are decided by the Cabinet.
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Ready Alternative Govt.
- The opposition party provides an alternative government if the ruling party loses the majority.
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Against Separation of Powers:
- CoM and Cabinet are part of the legislature.
- Cabinet: leader of legislature and executive.
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Wide Representation
- CoM provides representation to all sections & regions in the government.
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Govt by Amateurs
- Ministers are not experts in their fields of administrative efficiency.
- Ministers can only be from parliament. The PM has no choice but to select outside experts.
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Reasons for Adopting the Parliamentary System:
- Familiarity with the system due to British Rule.
- Preference for more responsibility, unlike in the Presidential system.
- Need to avoid Legislative-Executive Conflict like in the USA, where there is a complete separation of powers.
- Nature of Indian society, i.e., heterogeneous sections, linguistic, religious, and ethnic diversity.
- The Parliamentary system gives wider representation.
Distinction between Indian and British Models
| Indian Model |
British Model |
- Republican System: Head of State (President) is indirectly elected.
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- Monarchical System: Head of the State (King/Queen) is hereditary.
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- Constitutional supremacy.
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- Parliamentary sovereignty.
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- The PM may be a member of any of the houses.
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- The PM should be a member of the Lower House.
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- A person who is not a member of any house can be appointed as minister, but only for six months.
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- Usually, members of parliament are appointed as ministers.
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- No system of legal responsibility of ministers. Ministers are not required to countersign the official acts.
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- System of Legal Responsibility of the minister. Ministers are required to countersign the official acts.
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- Shadow Cabinet by Opposition: to balance the ruling cabinet and prepare its members for future ministerial office.
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Distinction Between the Parliamentary System of India and the Parliamentary System British Models.
| Indian Model |
British Model |
- Republican System: The head of State (President) is indirectly elected.
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- Monarchical System: The head of the State (King/Queen) is hereditary.
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- Constitutional supremacy.
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- Parliamentary sovereignty.
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- The PM may be a member of any of the houses.
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- The PM should be a member of the Lower House.
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- A person who is not a member of any house can be appointed as minister, but only for six months.
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- Usually, members of parliament are appointed as ministers.
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- No system of legal responsibility of ministers. Ministers are not required to countersign the official acts.
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- System of Legal Responsibility of the minister. Ministers are required to countersign the official acts.
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- Shadow Cabinet by Opposition: to balance the ruling cabinet and prepare its members for future ministerial office.
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Conclusion
- The parliamentary system of government emphasizes cooperation and accountability between the executive and legislative branches.
- It provides a mechanism for swift decision-making, as well as checks and balances through parliamentary oversight.
- This system has been adopted by numerous democratic nations worldwide, contributing to stable governance and effective representation of the people’s interests.
March 28, 2024
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