Political Science 11: Introduction to Political Science Lecture No.

FORMS AND STRUCTURES OF GOVERNMENT Forms of Government {Executive-Legislative Relationships} (Heywood, 2007)

Presidential a form of government where executive authority is concentrated in the hands of the President whose office is politically and constitutionally separate from the legislature (US, Asia, Africa, Latin America) Parliamentary a form of government where the government governs in and through assembly or parliament, thereby fusing the legislative and executive (Europe, former British colonies) Structural Characteristics which Distinguish Presidential Systems when Compared to Parliamentary Systems (Lawson, 1989) 1. Source of Executive Power 2. Initiation of Legislation 3. Ceremonial Leadership 4. Role of Political Parties Structures of Government {Center-Periphery Relationships} (Heywood, 2007)

Unitary a structure of government which vests sovereign power in a single national institution (UK, France, Japan, Philippines) Two distinct institutional forms of peripheral authority

1. 2.

local government form of government that has no share in sovereignty devolved assemblies created in response to increasing centrifugal tensions within a state

Federal a structure of government where there is a territorial distribution of power based on the sharing of sovereignty between central bodies and peripheral ones neither of which is legally or politically subordinate to the other (USA, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Nigeria) Factors influencing the Formation of Federal Systems 1. federations have often been formed by the coming together of established political communities which wish to preserve their separate identities and their autonomy 2. existence of a threat or a desire to play a more effective role in international affairs 3. geographical size Structural Characteristics which Distinguish Federal Systems when Compared to Unitary Systems (Watts, 2002) 1. two orders of government (federal and regional), each in direct contact with its citizens; 2. an official, constitutional sharing of legislative and executive powers, and a sharing of revenue sources between the two orders of government, to ensure that each has certain sectors of true autonomy; 3. designated representation of distinct regional opinions (regional interests, rights, welfare) within federal decision-making institutions, usually guaranteed by the specific structure of the federal Second Chamber (Senate); 4. a supreme written constitution that is not unilaterally modifiable but requires the consent of a large proportion of federation members; 5. an arbitration mechanism (in the form of courts or a referendum) to resolve intergovernmental disputes; and 6. procedures and institutions designed to facilitate intergovernmental collaboration in cases of shared domains (jurisdictions) or inevitable overlapping of responsibilities (powers, authority, functions) Assessing Presidential and Parliamentary Forms of Government (Hewood, 2007; Abueva, 2005; Stepan and Skatch, 1993 and Lijphart, 1992) Presidential Parliamentary It creates internal tensions that help to protect individual It ensures coordinated and effective exercise of rights and liberties government power It is more politically stable due to the fixed term of the It lowers the propensity for executives to rule at president the edge of the constitution It is more democratic due to the direct election of the chief It fosters the development of political parties and executive the election of well-qualified head of government It is a recipe for institutional gridlock, or government gridlock It is associated with the problem of executive domination It leads to temporal rigidity breaks the political process into discontinuous, rigidly demarcated periods, leaving no It is linked with weak government and political room for continuous adjustments that events may demand instability

Strengths

Weaknesses

Assessing Unitary and Federal Structures of Government (Heywood, 2007 and Abueva, 2005) Unitary Federal Strengths

It

ensures that the common interests of the entire community are served

It

It may rectify inequalities among regions

Weaknesses

It results in inefficiency and bureaucratic chaos It does not strengthen political participation and democratic accountability

gives regional and local interests a constitutionally guaranteed political voice It creates a network of checks and balances by diffusing governmental power It provides an institutional mechanism through which fractured societies have maintained unity and coherence It makes the implementation of bold economic and social programmes more difficult It may strengthen centrifugal pressures and ultimately lead to disintegration It may strengthen local warlords and corrupt

politicians