What is the key difference between a parliamentary system and a presidential system?

What is the key difference between a parliamentary system and a presidential system?

• A. In parliamentary systems, executive is drawn from the legislature and is accountable to it; in presidential systems, the executive is separately elected and fixed terms.
• B. In parliamentary systems, the president is elected for a fixed term by the people.
• C. In presidential systems, the cabinet is selected by the monarch.
• D. In parliamentary systems, there is no prime minister.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how the government’s executive power is formed and held to account. In a parliamentary system, the executive comes from the legislature and stays in power only while the legislature supports it. The prime minister and cabinet are usually members of the parliament, and they can be removed by a vote of no confidence, making the government directly answerable to the legislature. In a presidential system, the president is elected separately from the legislature and serves a fixed term, creating a clearer separation of powers; the president appoints a cabinet but is not typically removable by a simple legislative vote, since removal usually comes only through impeachment. That contrast best captures the difference described here. Other statements either describe only partial aspects or refer to features not typical of modern systems (such as a cabinet selected by a monarch or the idea that there is no prime minister).

The main idea is how the government’s executive power is formed and held to account. In a parliamentary system, the executive comes from the legislature and stays in power only while the legislature supports it. The prime minister and cabinet are usually members of the parliament, and they can be removed by a vote of no confidence, making the government directly answerable to the legislature. In a presidential system, the president is elected separately from the legislature and serves a fixed term, creating a clearer separation of powers; the president appoints a cabinet but is not typically removable by a simple legislative vote, since removal usually comes only through impeachment.

That contrast best captures the difference described here. Other statements either describe only partial aspects or refer to features not typical of modern systems (such as a cabinet selected by a monarch or the idea that there is no prime minister).