Parliamentary, Presidential, & Semi-Presidential Systems

#1 Which of the following is true of a presidential system?

• Policy making is more efficient in a presidential system than in a parliamentary system.
• Cabinet members operate more independently of the legislature in a presidential system than in a parliamentary system.
• Through checks and balances, a president has more power over the legislature than does a prime minister in a parliamentary system.
• Unlike a prime minister, a president may be impeached by a vote of no confidence by a majority of the legislature.

#2 Which of the following explains why a country would choose a parliamentary system over a presidential system?

• A parliamentary system fuses its branches of government, which increases citizen participation since there are more elected offices.
• A parliamentary system divides governmental power between a central power and regional governments, so policy making is more effective.
• A parliamentary system allows citizens to directly elect its head of government, so it offers more accountability.
• A parliamentary system does not divide powers among as many branches of government, so it is more efficient.

#3 Which of the following best explains different checks that legislatures have on the executive in the United Kingdom and Mexico?

• In the United Kingdom the prime minister is from the minority party and must work to form a coalition to govern, while in Mexico the majority party controls the executive and has no need to form a coalition.
• Even though the United Kingdom and Mexico have different types of political systems, in both countries the legislature can be a powerful check on the executive.
• In the United Kingdom a majority vote in the cabinet forces the resignation of the prime minister, while in Mexico the government is less stable because the president can call for a vote of no confidence at any time.
• In the United Kingdom the legislature controls domestic policy with little input from the prime minister, while in Mexico the executive has full control over domestic policy resulting in a less powerful legislature.

#4. Which of the following statements accurately compare the parliamentary systems of China and the United Kingdom?

• The length of term for members of the National People’s Congress is two years, and the length of term for members of the House of Commons is seven years, and the longer term often leads to more issues of corruption.
• The upper houses of parliament in China and the United Kingdom have significantly less power than the lower houses of parliament, which results in inefficient policy making for both countries.
• Even though China and the United Kingdom have parliamentary systems, they differ in how they choose their leadership: there is little competition over the selection of China’s premier, while the selection of the United Kingdom’s prime minister is competitive.
• The premier resolves domestic conflicts in China, and the monarch works closely with party leaders to resolve domestic conflicts in the United Kingdom, which implies that elected officials in both countries play less of a role in conflict resolutions.

#5. Which of the following is an effect of fused executive and legislative branches in parliamentary systems?

• The executive and legislative branches often have different policy goals.
• The judiciary has little to no power or impact as a political institution.
• The citizens have a more difficult time following political processes.
• The legislature can remove the executive without an impeachment proceeding.

#6. Which of the following best explains why the policy-making process in the United Kingdom is usually more efficient than in Mexico?

• The separation of the roles of head of state and head of government in the United Kingdom, unlike the combination of the roles in Mexico, creates fewer institutional obstacles to enacting policy.
• The presence of two significant political parties in the United Kingdom, rather than three as in Mexico, creates fewer political obstacles to enacting policy.
• The presence of a greater number of significant social cleavages in Mexico than in the United Kingdom makes it difficult to achieve policy-making consensus.
• The fusion of executive and legislative power in the United Kingdom leads to fewer institutional obstacles to enacting policy, whereas the divided branch powers in Mexico make it more difficult.

#7. Which of the following best explains a major source of power for a president in a presidential system?

• Legislatures often have no constitutional checks on a president's authority in a presidential system.
• In addition to serving as head of government, head of state, and commander in chief, a president often appoints people to several positions in all three branches of government.
• Presidents usually do not have term limits, but the legislative branch does, which gives the president the incumbency advantage.
• The president has fused powers and controls the executive and legislative branches.

#8. Which of the following is often true about semi-presidential systems?

• The president is normally not very strong and has no constitutional powers, which makes the prime minister more powerful in policy making.
• The prime minister usually controls foreign policy, which means the president focuses strictly on the domestic economy.
• Semi-presidential systems almost always have devolved unitary systems, which frequently results in a divided government.
• The president usually nominates the prime minister, which implies that the prime minister would support the president’s policy agenda.

#9. Which of the following is a difference between the parliamentary systems of China and the United Kingdom?

• The House of Commons has no checks on the executive, but the National People's Congress has several checks on the executive.
• The House of Commons has almost 3,000 members, and the National People's Congress has only 650 members.
• The House of Commons features Question Time and gives members the chance to question the prime minister, which does not occur in the National People's Congress.
• The House of Commons rarely questions the authority of cabinet members, but votes of no confidence are regularly called in the National People's Congress.

Explain why policy making is more efficient in a parliamentary system than in a presidential system. Check ALL boxes that answer this question.

• In a parliamentary system, political power can be devolved.
• In a parliamentary system, leadership is able to enforce stronger party discipline.
• Parliamentary systems do not have divided government.
• Fusion of legislative and executive power.