Forms of Democratic Government SS6CG4c – Describe the two forms of democratic governments: parliamentary and presidential

ESSENTIAL QUESTION What are the important democratic features of parliamentary and presidential forms of government?

Forms of Democratic Government Two forms of democratic governments Parliamentary Presidential

Forms of Democratic Government Parliamentary A system of government having the real executive power vested in a cabinet composed of members of the legislature who are individually and collectively responsible to the legislature. May have a prime minister elected by the legislature Example: Great Britain, Germany

Forms of Democratic Government Presidential A system of government in which the president is constitutionally independent of the legislature. Examples: USA, France, Russia

Sample CRCT Question You are the chief executive in your country’s democratically elected national government. You came to power in the last election after your political party won a majority of seats in the national legislature. As the leader of your of your political party, you were chosen to be the national government leader by your co-workers in the legislature. Which form of government do you have? Paliamentary Presidential Autocratic d. Oligarchic

Sample CRCT Question You have been elected by the people of your country to be the executive officer. Your political party may or may not have won the majority of the seats in the legislature. Which form of government do you have? Parliamentary Presidential Autocratic d. Oligarchic

Conclusion Both governments headed by an executive officer. Presidential democracy, like the USA, has the president (executive officer) elected by the people. The legislature (USA=Congress) has no part in determining who the president will be. The legislature majority could be the president’s political party or it could not, as was the case during President Clinton’s terms. He is a Democrat, but the legislature (Congress) majority was made up of Republicans. In a parliamentary democracy, like Great Britain, the majority or ruling party, of the legislature (House of Common) decides who the prime minister will be , not the people. The people do not vote for the prime minister. The people only vote for the legislature. For example, in Great Britain, there are MANY political parties. The ruling party or majority in the legislature now is the Labour Party. The Labour Party has appointed Gordon Brown to be prime minister of Great Britain.

Homework Assignment Draw a Venn diagram comparing (finding similarities) and contrasting (finding differences) the parliamentary and presidential governments. DUE TOMORROW