Two Democratic Governments

Democratic Governments

There are two major forms of democratic governments:ParliamentaryPresidential

The citizens elect the leaders in democratic government.

Parliamentary Democracy

There are close ties between the executive and legislative branches.

Head of State is pretty much symbolic; this position holds very little power

Executive power is vested in the Parliament

The Prime Minister (chief executive) leads the cabinet and is the head of the government.

United KingdomParliamentary Democracy Voters elect members to ParliamentParliament has 2 Houses:House of Commons: The Political Party

with the most votes in the House of Commons chooses the Prime Minister, the government’s leader with no set term.

House of Lords: Little power with most members being nobles having inherited their titles

Presidential Democracy

Voters elect legislators

Voters elect (indirectly) the president.Therefore, in the presidential system voters

have a more direct say about those who serve in two branches of the government :

LegislativeExecutive

Branches of Government

United States

Representative Democracy – Voters choose their leaders

Federal Republic – Power divided between the national and state governments

The executive power is given to one person, the President.

The President serves as leader of the nation.

Parliamentary System

Presidential System

ExecutiveExecutive LegislativeLegislative

CitizensCitizensCitizensCitizens

LegislativeLegislative

ExecutiveExecutive

Elect

Elect

Elect

Elect

Select

Select

ElectElect