THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

Questions Presidential Semi-Presidential Parliamentary

Monarchs who
inherit their position
President, Prime
Who is the head of state? President or presidents who
minister
are appointed or
elected

Direct Election
(South Africa) It has Indirect election or
What is the method of a president, but the Appointment
selecting the head of officeholder is Direct Election For monarchs, they
state? elected by members
may inherit the
of the legislature
position.
rather than in a
direct national vote.

What are the means of

removing or dismissing Vote of no Vote against their
Impeachment
the head of state from confidence party
office?

The president
Directs the
shares the duties of
government and
being head of
also serves as the
government with
ceremonial head of Their job is primarily
What is the general role or the prime minister;
state. The president non-political and
obligation of the head of the president has an
makes acts as a unifying
state? oversight role and
appointments to influence
responsibility for
other key
foreign affairs, and
government
can take emergency
institutions.
powers

Is the head of state given

Yes No (France) No
the power to veto bills?

Yes. The president Yes. Heads of state

Is the head of state given No. The president usually appoints the are not entirely non-
the power to formally cannot dissolve the prime minister and political, however,
dissolve the legislature? legislature can dissolve the and sometimes play
legislature. a role in the
 formation of
governments.

What is the rate or

Can serve an
frequency of turnover in Limited number of
Single office unlimited number of
the office of the head of fixed-length terms
terms in office
state?

Prime minister
Who is the head of President
President (Germany)
government? Prime Minister
Chancellor (Austria)

What is the rule governing The prime minister

Independently
the selection of the head Direct Election is appointed by the
elected
of government? elected president

The prime minister

What is the means of can be dismissed
Vote of no
removing or dismissing from office by losing
Impeachment confidence in the
the head of government a legislative majority
legislature
from office? or a vote of no
confidence

The president
shares the duties of
Holds a seat in
being head of
The president parliament while
government with
directs the also running the
What is the general role or the prime minister;
government country and works
obligation of the head of the president has an
and, also serves as in conjunction with a
government? oversight role and
the ceremonial head separate head of
responsibility for
of state. state who has little
foreign affairs, and
substantive power.
can take emergency
powers

Who has the power to President Parties appoint

choose the heads of President their own leading
departments/ministries? Prime Minister figures to head
particular
 ministries in many
coalitions

No. The executive

Yes. The president Yes. The prime
is collegial, taking
makes minister is usually
Does the appointment of the form of a cabinet
appointments appointed by the
secretaries/ministers (or council of
although some may president, but must
require approval from the ministers) in which
be subject to have the support of
legislature? the prime minister is
confirmation by the a majority in the
traditionally first
legislature. legislature.
among equals.

Yes. Occupying a
Yes, the president seat in the
No. Legislators has no choice but to legislature is all but
Are elected legislators
must resign their work with a prime a prerequisite to
allowed to serve at the
seats if they wish to minister and cabinet being appointed to a
same time as cabinet
serve in the from that party in an top government job,
secretaries/ministers?
government arrangement known such as the head of
as ‘cohabitation’. a government
department

Yes. In semi-
Yes, Because both presidential
president and government
legislature are (otherwise known
elected for a fixed as a ‘dual
Is ministerial autonomy
term, neither can executive’) we find Yes (Germany)
observed?
bring down the both an elected
other, giving each president and a
institution some prime minister and
autonomy. cabinet accountable
to the legislature.

No, Fixed terms of

office are inflexible,
and the American
Yes. In premier-
experience shows
presidential kind of
Can the that deadlock can
semi-presidential
secretaries/ministers be arise when
government Yes (Japan)
removed from office by executive and
(France, Portugal,
the legislature? legislature disagree,
Romania and
leaving the political
Ukraine)
system unable to
address pressing
problems.
 In parliamentary
systems, prime The prime minister
ministers can must cooperate with
normally rely on the president in the A majority coalition
What is the situation that strong support in national interest, government in which
requires the formation of a the legislature from but also becomes two or more parties
ruling coalition? their party or the leader of the with a majority of
coalition; this is opposition in what seats join together
rarely the case in is, in effect, a grand
presidential coalition.
executives.

What is the major political

factor of stability in the Clear majority party work in harmony Party discipline
government?

No. The leader is

normally the head of
the largest party in
parliament (or head
of one of the parties
in the governing
coalition), continues
to hold a seat in
Do the heads of state and parliament while
Yes, (South Africa No (multiparty
government belong to the also running the
of a single party) coalitions France)
same political party? country, works in
conjunction with a
separate head of
state who has little
substantive power,
and is subject
neither a separate
election nor to term
limits.

1. What type of executive (presidential, semi-presidential, parliamentary) will work for

good governance in the Philippines? Defend your answer. Your supporting arguments
should only be based on the given material in Module 2 Topic 2. (8pts.)
- The presidential executive still works best for good governance in the Philippines.
While this kind of government carries risks, it displays characteristics of democracy and
how the nation can exercise their freedom of suffrage. Additionally, there is a fixed term
for the executive (president) and share important powers with the Congress such as in
the occurrence of a war wherein the president maybe the commander-in-chief but only
the Congress can declare war. Lastly, there is the separation of powers with the
Legislative and the Judiciary.
2. 2. Considering the controversies surrounding the qualifications of presumptive president
BBM, which of the types of executive (presidential, semi-presidential, parliamentary), if adopted
in the Philippines, will partly address those controversies? Defend your answer. Your supporting
arguments for the chosen type of executive should only be based on the given material in
Module 2 Topic 2. (5 pts.)
The executive that will be addressing the problems partially will be the parliamentary
because based on the table and readings, parliamentary is with a minister which has the same
power as it was. Assuming that the President has someone to oppose him then he shall work
with the Prime Minister and fix the issues because he might lose his place and will be replaced
since he was just chosen by the Prime Minister.