Presidential vs. Parliamentary Form of Government

By: Dean Pacifico Agabin

Presidential Parliamentary

I. Advantaged of the Presidential Form

1. Since the President is directly elected by the people, he has a strong claim to democratic legitimacy.

2. Direct election by the people gives him the resolve to govern independently and to disregard pressures from vested interests.

3. The President’s fixed term of office makes for stability and strength to push even unpopular but necessary programs of government and to accelerate economic development

4. The presidential system accords with personalistic culture of the Filipinos

II. Advantages of the Parliamentary

Form 1. The parliamentary form is more

suited for countries with deep ideological or religious cleavages or numerous political parties or sectoral factions

2. Parliamentary democracy provides opportunity for the people to make a clear choice of political alternatives.

3. The parliamentary form makes for stability in mature democracies as executive power depends on legislative majorities constituted after parliamentary election.

III. Disadvantages of the Presidential Form

1. The presidential system concentrates too much power in the hands of one man, and sets the stage for personalistic rule.

2. This personalistic culture impinges adversely on the quality of other political leaders.

3. A strongman rule undermines political programs and weakens political parties based on ideology.

4. The President is under the strongest temptation to usurp powers of the other main departments of government.

IV. Disadvantages of the Parliamentary Form

1. The political development of the country has not yet reached that level of maturity where political parties have been strengthened around clear-cut national alternatives and ideologies.

2. In the parliamentary form, the representatives of the people are sometime weakened as against the cabinet, which can threaten to make issues matters of “confidence”. This can lead to paralyzation of governmental functions.

3. Since the parliamentary form is based on compromises and horse-trading, collective responsibility leads to a weak government.