Parliamentary and Presidential Systems

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When looking at the different political systems across the world, parliamentary and presidential systems can be seen as two eminent and highly successful democracy as used most famously by Britain the United States respectively. Due to their difference in the system of governing, the role of an Australian Prime Minister may vary from that of an American President. Thus, differentiation of the system may incur a verity of responsibility and privilege that one and another desire to hold.

First of all, the power distribution varies in these two systems. The position of president grants him/herself both the head of government, also known as chief executive and the head of state. The president is considered to be vested balanced power against that of the legislature. Head of state, often known as the chief public representative of monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth and other forms of the state, while as a representative, sometimes can merely be seen as a figurehead, such as the Queen and Governor-General in the constitutional monarchy Australia for many times functions in a primarily ceremonial role. Although they have the authority to dissolve parliament and dismiss the government granted by Constitution covertly, the convention was that the unelected Governor General would only act on the advice of the ministers if this power is ever used, very rarely according to the history. The head of government, in another word, chief executive, in the other hand, seen as the ones who are the head of nation’s legislature and holding the actual powers on governing affairs. In the presidential government, those two roles, head of state and the head of government are overlapped and joined in a single person. While in the parliamentar...

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Australian Prime Minister, in some ways, has imported practices for the American president. However, the Prime Minister seems to be able to compete with president as it has increasing power in hand and ability in dealing national affair by its decisions.

Because of the independent legislature, the members of the Congress can have meaningful political career, and have real power to influence public policy which unlike that in Australian parliament, the party members need the support of the party leader if they want to influence the state.

In conclusion, there are some significant differences between presidential system and parliamentary system in areas such as the conduct of election, the party discipline and the separation of power. And in many ways American president may envy Australian Prime Minister due to the difference between their position and roles.

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