Use the chart to answer the question.

Question

Presidential System
- President is elected by voters
- Separation of powers between branches
- Representatives are elected by districts
- President and ruling party are independent
- Legislature is unicameral or bicameral
- President is not easily removed

Parliamentary System
- Prime minister is chosen by parliament
- Legislature and executive branches are closely related
- Members of parliament are elected by districts
- Prime minister controls the ruling party
- Legislature is unicameral or bicameral
- Prime minister can be easily replaced

Which of the following best compares the presidential and parliamentary systems of government?

A) A parliamentary system has an impeachment process to remove the executive, whereas a presidential system removes an executive based on deficient laws.
B) A parliamentary system is volatile and laws are easily reversed, whereas a presidential system is stable and has separation of powers.
C) A parliamentary system and presidential system both have distinct separation of powers between branches of government.
D) A parliamentary system has an executive elected by the people, whereas a presidential system has an executive prime minister elected by legislative members.

Answer 1

The best option that compares the presidential and parliamentary systems of government is:

B) A parliamentary system is volatile and laws are easily reversed, whereas a presidential system is stable and has separation of powers.

This option appropriately highlights the differences in stability and the structure of governance between the two systems. In parliamentary systems, the executive is more directly accountable to the legislature, which can lead to changes in leadership and potentially more frequent shifts in policy. In contrast, presidential systems tend to have more stability due to the separation of powers and the independence of the executive from the legislature.