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Understanding Democratic Systems and Structures

May 5, 2025

PLSC 3 Chapter 12: Parliamentary, Presidential, and Semi-Presidential Democracies

Classification of Democracies

  • Parliamentary Democracies

    • Government is responsible to the elected legislature.
    • The head of state is not popularly elected for a fixed term.
    • Relies on a legislative majority to exist.
  • Presidential Democracies

    • Government is not responsible to the elected legislature.
    • Does not rely on a legislative majority to exist.
  • Semi-Presidential Democracies

    • Government is responsible to the elected legislature.
    • The head of state is popularly elected for a fixed term.
    • Depends on a legislative majority to exist.

Legislative Responsibility

  • Legislative Responsibility: Power of a legislative majority to remove a government from office without cause.
  • Vote of No Confidence: Initiated by the legislature; the government must resign if it fails to obtain a majority.
  • Constructive Vote of No Confidence: Must specify who will replace the government if the vote succeeds.
  • Vote of Confidence: Initiated by the government; must resign if it does not obtain a legislative majority.

Head of State

  • Popularly Elected: Elected directly by voters or through an electoral college.
  • Fixed Term: Serves a set period before reappointment is needed.
  • Presidents: Present in presidential, semi-presidential, and parliamentary systems.
  • Monarchs: Only in parliamentary democracies; not directly elected and no fixed terms.

Parliamentary Democracies

  • Government Structure: Comprises a prime minister and the cabinet.
  • Prime Minister: Political chief executive and leader of the government.
  • Cabinet: Ministers responsible for government departments.
  • Ministerial Responsibility: Cabinet ministers are ultimately responsible for their ministries.
  • Collective Cabinet Responsibility: Ministers must support collective decisions or resign.
  • Election Process: Voters elect representatives, who then form the government.

Bargaining Process

  • Free-Style: Head of State swears in government proposed by party elites.
  • Formateur: Person designated to form the government.
  • Informateur: Evaluates feasible coalitions; nominates a formateur.
  • Investiture Vote: Demonstrates majority support.

Caretaker Government

  • Appointed between resignation/defeat and new government appointment.

Politician Goals

  • Office-Seeking: Focused on obtaining office benefits.
  • Policy-Seeking: Aimed at shaping policy.
  • Gamson's Law: Cabinet portfolios distributed proportionally to legislative seats contributed.
  • Minimal Winning Coalition: Only necessary parties to control a legislative majority.
  • Least Minimal Winning Coalition: Smallest coalition needed to form a majority.

Semi-Presidential Democracies

  • Government Structure: Prime Minister and Cabinet, with an elected President.
  • Premier-Presidential System: Government responsible to legislature, not president.
  • President-Parliamentary System: Government responsible to both legislature and president.

Cohabitation

  • Occurs when the president's party lacks a legislative majority, requiring coalition with another party to appoint a formateur.