#AP Comparative Government: Comparing Government Systems 🏛️

Hey there, future AP Comp Gov expert! 👋 Let's dive into a comparison of parliamentary, presidential, and semi-presidential systems. This is crucial for acing your exam, so let's make sure it sticks!

#2.2 Comparing Parliamentary, Presidential, and Semi-Presidential Systems

#Quick Comparison Chart

Here's a handy chart to get us started. Think of it as your cheat sheet for the night before the exam! 🚀

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• No Separation of Powers: Like in the UK 🇬🇧, the executive and legislative branches are fused—they're basically one and the same. Think of it like a super-efficient, well-oiled machine. ⚙️

• Power Dynamics: The legislature (Parliament) chooses the Prime Minister, who is usually the leader of the majority party. This means less gridlock and faster policy-making. ✅

• Example: Devolution in the UK in the 1990s happened quickly because the PM had strong support in Parliament.

  📝 Reminder: Need a refresher on devolution? Check out the Unit 1 Study Guide <>

#Presidential Systems: Separated Power

• Separation of Powers: Like in Mexico 🇲🇽 and Nigeria 🇳🇬, the executive, legislative, and judicial branches are separate. This creates a system of checks and balances. ⚖️
• Power Dynamics: Each branch has its own specific powers, leading to potential gridlock. 🚦
• Example: In Nigeria, the president's budget was rejected by the senate in 2016, showing a clear check on executive power. 💸

#Semi-Presidential Systems: The Tricky Case of Russia

• Unique Structure: Russia 🇷🇺 has a semi-presidential system where both a President and a Prime Minister co-exist. However, this system is not a great comparison point for the following reasons:

  1. Putin's Dominance: President Putin holds the real power, making it difficult to analyze the system's function in a typical semi-presidential way. 💪

     

     President Putin (commons.wikimedia.org)

     

     Prime Minister Mishustin (commons.wikimedia.org)

  2. Authoritarian Nature: Russia is an authoritarian regime, unlike the democratic systems of the UK, Mexico, and Nigeria. This difference in regime type makes direct comparison difficult. 👑

  • Authoritarian Regimes: Decisions are made by political elites with little citizen input. 🙅
  • Democratic Regimes: Citizens have greater decision-making power through elections. 🙋

#Checks and Balances in a Parliamentary System

Even though power is fused in a parliamentary system, there are still checks and balances. Let's look at the UK for examples:

1. Fixed-Term Elections: The UK has fixed-term elections every five years, limiting the Prime Minister's power to call snap elections. 🗳️

   • 💡 How does Parliament choose the PM? The monarch invites a member of the ruling party (or opposition) to command. If no PM can be selected, a General Election is called.

2. Questions of the Executive: The House of Commons holds regular Q&A sessions with the Prime Minister, allowing scrutiny from both the opposition and majority party. ❓Click here to watch past Prime Minister's Questions.

3. Censuring Cabinet Members: Parliament can also check the executive by censuring new cabinet members.

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• High-Priority Topics: Focus on the differences in power allocation between parliamentary and presidential systems. Understand the unique challenges of comparing semi-presidential systems due to authoritarian elements.
• Common Question Types: Expect questions that ask you to compare the efficiency of policy-making, the presence of checks and balances, and the impact of regime type on governmental functions.
• Time Management: Quickly identify the system type in the question and use your knowledge of the core countries to support your arguments.
• Common Pitfalls: Don't confuse the roles of the President and Prime Minister in different systems. Be clear about the differences between fused and separated powers. Avoid making direct comparisons between democratic and authoritarian regimes without acknowledging the fundamental differences.

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Practice Question

Practice Questions

#Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following best describes the relationship between the executive and legislative branches in a parliamentary system? (A) The branches are completely separate with equal powers. (B) The executive branch is subordinate to the legislative branch. (C) The executive and legislative branches are fused. (D) The legislative branch is subordinate to the executive branch.

2. In a presidential system, a check on the power of the executive branch is the ability of the: (A) Judiciary to appoint cabinet members. (B) Legislature to impeach the president. (C) Executive to dissolve the legislature. (D) Military to veto legislative decisions.

3. Which of the following is a key characteristic of a semi-presidential system? (A) A single executive leader with absolute power. (B) A fusion of executive and legislative powers. (C) A dual executive with a president and prime minister. (D) A system where the legislature directly appoints the head of state.

#Free Response Question

Prompt: Compare and contrast the policy-making processes in a parliamentary system and a presidential system. In your response, be sure to:

• Define the key characteristics of each system.
• Discuss the impact of the separation of powers (or lack thereof) on policy-making.
• Provide specific examples from course countries to support your claims.

Point-by-Point Scoring Breakdown:

• Point 1: Definition of a parliamentary system (1 point)
  • Must include the concept of fused executive and legislative branches.
• Point 2: Definition of a presidential system (1 point)
  • Must include the concept of separated powers.
• Point 3: Discussion of policy-making in a parliamentary system (1 point)
  • Should mention the efficiency and speed of policy-making due to fused powers.
• Point 4: Discussion of policy-making in a presidential system (1 point)
  • Should mention potential gridlock and checks on power.
• Point 5: Example from a parliamentary system (1 point)
  • Example: UK's devolution in the 1990s
• Point 6: Example from a presidential system (1 point)
  • Example: Nigeria's senate rejecting the president's budget

Let's crush this exam! 💪 You've got this! 🌟