POLITICAL SCIENCE- II

UNIT-I
TYPES OF GOVERNMENT

TOPIC: 1.7
Parliamentary Form: Key Features

Mr. Vivek Kumar Singh

Assistant Professor
DME Law School
v.singh@dme.ac.in

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 Suggested Readings
• Essential Reading:
– ‘Chapter 11 Forms of Government’ in J.C.
Johari’s ‘Principles of Modern Political
Analysis’ (2021)
• Additional Reading:
– ‘Chapter 5 Presidential and Parliamentary
government’(pages 91-103) in Kenneth Newton
and Jan W. Van Deth’s ‘Foundations of
Comparative Politics’ (2009).

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 Parliamentary form of govt
• Parliamentary and Presidential forms differ in
terms of relationship between legislature and
executive
• In Parliamentary- Legislature combined with
executive
• Real Executive (Ministers) are legally
responsible to legislature
• Titular/Nominal executive

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 Legislature
• Representatives
elected by the Executive
• Selected
people
from within
• Representatives
Legislature
accountable to the
people

• Prime Minister is the

leader of the party or
coalition with majority
• PM choses Ministers,
who must be members
of the legislature 4
 Features of Parliamentary Govt
1. Nominal authority of the head of the state
– Powers exercised in the name of the monarch or the
President
– Actual power exercised by the Cabinet and Prime
Minister
– President appoints PM (on the basis of majority in
Parliament)
– “Article 74 (1) There shall be a Council of
Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and
advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his
functions, act in accordance with such advice.”

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 Features of Parliamentary Govt
2. Leadership of the Prime Minister
– PM has the real executive authority
– Prime Minister is ‘first among equals’(primus
inter pares)
3. Political Homogeneity
– PM is the leader of the party having clear
majority in the Parliament
– Ministers come from same party /alliance
– (exception- during crisis, ‘national govt’ may
be formed including others)
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 Features of Parliamentary Govt
4. Collective Responsibility
– Ministers responsible to the legislature
– Can continue only till they enjoy the
confidence of the legislature
– If PM or any minister is not an MP then must
secure membership within 6 months
– If PM resigns, the whole cabinet resigns
– Individual responsibility- PM can ask any
minister to resign

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 Features of Parliamentary Govt
5. Sound and Effective Opposition
– Parties outside the govt form the opposition
– Purpose- to prevent the abuse of power by
ruling part
6. Participation in legislature
– Ministers take part in proceedings of the
Parliament
– Defend their policies, proposed laws
– Budget session- to ensure accountability of
expenditure of public money
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 Features of Parliamentary Govt
7. Executive is not directly elected
– It emerges from the elected legislature
– Executive is an integral part of the legislature
8. Ministers share responsibility unlike the
Presidential system where only Prez shares
responsibility

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Indian Parliament (Article 79)

President

Lok Sabha (House of the People) (Art

81)

Rajya Sabha (the Council of States)

(Art 80)

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Lok Sabha (House of the People) (Art 81)

• Max strength 552 (530 +20 +2)

• Currently 543 members
• MP term- 5 years- President may
dissolve earlier
• May be extended for an year
during emergency
• Minimum age- 25 years

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Rajya Sabha (Council of States) (Art 80)
• Max 250 (238 representatives of the
states and UTs) + 12 nominated by the
President (Literature, science, art and
social service)
• Elected by the elected members of the
state legislative assembly
• Permanent Body- MPs have term of 6
years- 1/3rd retires every 2 years
• Minimum age- 30 years
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 Elect the
Indian Parliamentary System President
President

Nominal head
Has to work on the
aid and advice of the
Council
PM and
Council of
Ministers Electoral College

Appointed by
Elected
the President
members
only

Directly Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha

elect

Citizens Vidhan Sabha

MLAs elect RS MPs
Local Self Government (indirect election)
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 Next lecture
• Merits and Demerits of the Parliamentary
system

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