Parliamentary System of Government: Features, Merits and British Model

March 28, 2024 12976 0

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.
  • The President is both the Head of State and Head of the Government.
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.
  • 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.
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.
  • The President and his secretaries are not responsible to Congress for their acts. 
  • 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.
  • The cabinet is a Non-elected advisory body.
  • It is selected and appointed by the President.
  • Responsible only for him.
  • Removed by him.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Dissolution of Lower House
  • The President can dissolve Lok Sabha before the expiry of the term on the recommendation of the PM.
  • The President cannot dissolve the House of Representatives (Lower House of Congress).

 

Merits & Demerits of Presidential Government

Merits Demerits
  • Stable government.
  • Definiteness in policies.
  • Based on separation of powers.
  • Government by experts.
  • Conflict between legislature and executive.
  • Non-responsible government.
  • May lead to autocracy.
  • Narrow representation.

 

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.
Unstable Government

  • Govt. may lose its majority due to no-confidence motion, political defection or breakdown of coalition.
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.
No Continuity in Policies

  • Change in government brings a change in policies.
  • This is a roadblock in policy formulation & implementation in the long term.
Prevents Despotism

  • Executive authority is not vested in a single person but in CoM.
  • Prevents dictatorship of the executive.
Dictatorship of Cabinet

  • Ruling party with an absolute majority in the cabinet is all powerful.
  • All policies are decided by the Cabinet.
Ready Alternative Govt.

  • The opposition party provides an alternative government if the ruling party loses the majority.
Against Separation of Powers:

  • CoM and Cabinet are part of the legislature.
  • Cabinet: leader of legislature and executive.
Wide Representation

  • CoM provides representation to all sections & regions in the government.
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.

 

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.
  • Monarchical System: Head of the State (King/Queen) is hereditary.
  • Constitutional supremacy.
  • Parliamentary sovereignty.
  • The PM may be a member of any of the houses.
  • The PM should be a member of the Lower House.
  • A person who is not a member of any house can be appointed as minister, but only for six months.
  • Usually, members of parliament are appointed as ministers.
  • No system of legal responsibility of ministers. Ministers are not required to countersign the official acts.
  • System of Legal Responsibility of the minister. Ministers are required to countersign the official acts.
  • No Shadow Cabinet.
  • Shadow Cabinet by Opposition: to balance the ruling cabinet and prepare its members for future ministerial office.

 

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.
  • Monarchical System: The head of the State (King/Queen) is hereditary.
  • Constitutional supremacy.
  • Parliamentary sovereignty.
  • The PM may be a member of any of the houses.
  • The PM should be a member of the Lower House.
  • A person who is not a member of any house can be appointed as minister, but only for six months.
  • Usually, members of parliament are appointed as ministers.
  • No system of legal responsibility of ministers. Ministers are not required to countersign the official acts.
  • System of Legal Responsibility of the minister. Ministers are required to countersign the official acts.
  • No Shadow Cabinet.
  • Shadow Cabinet by Opposition: to balance the ruling cabinet and prepare its members for future ministerial office.

 

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.
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