Asked by fah

whats the difference between a presidential and parliamentary democracy


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Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
- Who picks the executive: Presidential — president usually elected separately by the people; Parliamentary — prime minister chosen from the legislature (usually the majority party/coalition).
- Separation of powers: Presidential — clear separation between executive and legislature; Parliamentary — executive and legislature are fused (cabinet members are MPs).
- Removal/tenure: Presidential — fixed term, removable only by impeachment; Parliamentary — PM can be removed by a legislative vote of no confidence.
- Head of state vs head of government: Presidential — one person (president) typically fills both roles; Parliamentary — often split (ceremonial head of state, active head of government = PM).
- Effects: Presidential systems give stability of fixed terms but can lead to gridlock; Parliamentary systems are more flexible/responsive but can be less stable if coalitions collapse.

Examples: Presidential — USA, Brazil. Parliamentary — UK, Canada, India.