Features of Presidential System of Government
Description
Presidential system of government
Every country in the world has its own constitution, according to which policies are framed, government bodies and institutions function and decisions are made. In finer terms, it is the constitution, that covers all the aspects of the political system adopted by the country. Though democracy comes in various shapes and sizes, the two most prominent forms of it are Parliamentary and Presidential, based on the nature of relationship between the executive and legislative organ of the government
Presidential form of government
Presidential democracy is a form of government in which the executive branch is elected separately from the legislative branch. When a country follows the Presidential form of government, it denotes that there is only one person as the head of the state and government, i.e. the President. The president, elected directly by the people and answerable to the voters, is elected for a fixed term and cannot be removed except by extraordinary measures.
The President then appoints his or her cabinet of ministers (or “secretaries” in US parlance). Ministers/Secretaries usually are not simultaneously members of the legislature. Because the senior officials of the executive branch are separately elected or appointed, the presidential political system is characterised by a separation of powers, wherein the executive and legislative branches are independent of one another. Presidents have great control over their cabinet appointees who serve at the President’s pleasure. The United States of America represents the strongest form of presidentialism.
Key features of the Presidential Form
• Executive and legislature are separate and independent of each other (strict separation of power)
• It has single executive , president who is head of both state and government .
• Executive is not accountable to the legislature and is independent of it. (President and legislators elected
• separately for a fixed term.)
• Tenure of the president is fixed and he can be removed only in extra ordinary circumstances through impeachment
• Person outside the legislature can be appointed as a minister
• No dissolution of lower house by President
Merits of Presidential System
• Stability of the Government: Since Presidential form of government is elected for a fixed term , it ensures stability of the government. The executive can carry on with its policy till the end of its full term. It helps in bringing stability and continuity to administration and governance.
• Unhindered Decision making: The presidential executive is free from obstacles such as political pressure and coalition issues. He makes his own decisions and gets them implemented through his own ministers. Further, the executive is free from the evils of party influence in his daily administration as compared with parliamentary form of government.
• Checks and Balances: In the Presidential system, the executive, legislature and judiciary are independent of each other. This separation of power contributes to checks and balances in the system making it more democratic since there is no absolute concentration of powers in the same body and the presence of other organs ensure proper working of the system.
Demerits of the Presidential System
• Possibility of despotism: If the legislature is dominated by the same party to which the President belongs, a “strong President” may show a despotic tendencies and can prevent any contrary move from the legislature.
• Possibility of stalemate : If the legislature is dominated by a party opposed to the President’s party and a deadlock arises, it could lead to a stalemate in governance because since both the President and the legislature have democratic legitimacy, they might not agree to others point of view.
• Might not ensure wider representation to all people in a diverse country like India.
