🔆 Q7. Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of India’s parliamentary form of government and discuss how it differs from the presidential system in the United States. (15M)
📍 Introduction
✅ A parliamentary system of government is one where the executive derives its legitimacy from and is accountable to the legislature (parliament).
✅ This system, followed in India and the UK, allows the fusion of powers between the executive and legislature.
✅ In contrast, a presidential system, as in the United States, is based on a clear separation of powers, where the President is both head of state and head of government, functioning independently from the legislature.
📍 India’s Parliamentary Form of Government
🔸 Strengths:
✅ Accountability: The Prime Minister and Council of Ministers are directly accountable to Parliament through mechanisms like the Vote of No Confidence.
✅ Responsiveness: Allows swift legislative action during crises — for example, rapid legal changes during the Covid-19 pandemic.
✅ Power Sharing: Encourages coalition governments, promoting inclusivity and consensus-based politics — evident in alliances like UPA and NDA.
✅ Representativeness: The executive arises from an elected legislature representing diverse regions, communities, and interests, ensuring wider participation.
🔸 Weaknesses:
❌ Instability: Coalition politics often leads to government instability, as seen during the 1990s with frequent changes in leadership.
❌ Party Politics: Decisions may reflect party interests over national welfare — influenced by party whips and defections.
❌ Populism: Governments sometimes pursue short-term populist measures like loan waivers and freebies, compromising long-term policy goals.
❌ Executive Dominance: In strong majority governments, the executive may overshadow the legislature — for instance, only 25% of bills in the 16th Lok Sabha were sent to committees, compared to 71% in the 15th.
📍 How It Differs from the Presidential System in the United States
In India’s parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is the head of government, while the President serves as a ceremonial head of state. The Prime Minister is chosen from the majority party or coalition in the Lok Sabha, and the government remains in power as long as it enjoys the confidence of the House.
In contrast, the US President serves as both head of state and government and is elected independently through an Electoral College for a fixed four-year term, with a two-term limit. The separation of powers is rigid — the President cannot directly propose legislation in Congress but has veto power over it.
While India’s legislature (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and US Congress (House of Representatives and Senate) are both bicameral, the nature of executive–legislative relations differs sharply. In India, the executive is accountable to Parliament, whereas in the US, the legislature and executive function independently, ensuring a stronger system of checks and balances.
📍 Conclusion
✅ India’s parliamentary democracy promotes accountability, responsiveness, and representativeness but is vulnerable to instability and populism.
✅ The US presidential system ensures stability and separation of powers but can lead to policy deadlock.
✅ Hence, India’s model remains a balanced framework, blending accountability with inclusivity — a system evolving to suit its diverse democratic ethos.
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