Posted by Chester Morton / Wednesday, 6 April 2016 / No comments
The advantages and disadvantages of a parliamentary system of Government
It reduces the workload
In a parliamentary system, there exists a dual executive. In
other words, there is a Head of State and head of government. It is easy,
therefore for the two executives to share the functions of the executive
between them. The sharing of the workload makes the work less heavy for the two
of them.
Ensures Continuity in government
Where there is a change in government, the Head of State
does not leave the office. Only the head of government does, with his entire
government. The advantage is that there is someone to hold the state together
until a new government is formed. It, therefore, ensures that there is a peaceful
transfer of power from one government to another.
Loyalty to the state
The position of the Head of State is non-partisan or, at
least, expected to be. Therefore, the Head of State is an embodiment of the
states. For this reason, the citizens tend to be loyal to the Head of State who
embodies the state.
Less likely to become dictatorial
One of the features of a parliamentary system of government
is the existence of official opposition. One of the main duties of the
opposition is to keep the government in check. Once the government is kept in
check, the leader is less likely to degenerate into a dictator. Another feature
of the parliamentary system that helps to prevent dictatorship is the dual
executive. The two executives act as a
check on each other thereby preventing the rise of a dictatorship.
Less expensive
In a parliamentary system of government, the parliamentary
candidates vie for the seats in their constituency and after that the party
that wins the majority seat is asked to form the next government led by the
Prime Minister. The advantage is that there is only one level of election and
therefore less expenditure to incur.
Ensures responsible governance
In a parliamentary system, the entire cabinet is
collectively responsible to parliament for all their actions. Parliament is a
representative of the people and they have the power to pass a vote of no
confidence in the cabinet if it no longer enjoys their support. In which case,
the government must resign en-bloc to be replaced by another. The fear that it
could be driven out of power for non-performance, compels them to ensure that the
needs of the people are met.
DISADVANTAGES OF PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM
Expensive to operate
The dual nature of the executive in the Parliamentary system
of government creates more expenses as the office of the Prime Minister and of
the President or the Queen, must both be catered for in terms of the provision
of facilities and logistics. This results in an unnecessary waste of national
resources. In effect, it is relatively more expensive to operate the parliamentary system of government than the presidential system.
Struggles between the ruling party and the opposition
The system may lead to an unhealthy rivalry between the ruling
party and the opposition party. The opposition is officially recognized and is
seen as a government in waiting. So sometimes they fall into the trap of
over-criticizing the government of the day to gain political advantage. Such
destructive criticisms can delay the progress of national development.
Conflict between the Head of State and head of Government
The dual executive can be a source of conflict in a
parliamentary system of government. This may result from the two executives
disagreeing on policy and programmes to
be implemented in the state. It was one of these reasons which led to the
conflict between Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba and President Joseph Kasavubu
in the former Congo in the 1960s. It is believed that this was what led to the
eventual assassination of Patrice Lumumba.
It violates the concept of Separation of Powers
The principle of separation of powers states the three arms
of government, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary must be
separate in functions, personnel, and power. However, under the parliamentary
system, there is a fusion of powers in terms of the executive and the
legislature
May drift into instability
There is a tendency to drift toward instability. This
happens when a vote of no-confidence is passed in the government by the
legislature and it has to resign. In other words, the government could be removed
from power before its actual time is due. This situation can hinder the
implementation of government policies and thus retard development.
Lack of initiative on the part of parliamentarians
In a parliamentary system, there is strict adherence to party
discipline. For this reason, a Member of Parliament cannot, for example, vote
against his/her own party's policy. The party whip is able to whip errand
members of parliament into line. For this reason, sometimes Members of
Parliament are not able to take any initiatives of their own.
SAMPLE QUESTION(S)
1. a. What is a Cabinet or parliamentary system of
government? [2 marks]
b. Highlight three
advantages and two disadvantages of the Parliamentary system of government. 10
marks]
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