Systems of Government (Unitary, Fed, Confed, Parl, & Pres.)

Unitary Systems: Centralize Power

●Definition: Power is concentrated in the national government, which may delegate (give out)
responsibilities to regional governments.

Pros:

●Promotes national unity with consistent laws and policies.

●Central government makes decisions for the whole country.

Cons:

●Policies may not fit all regions equally well.

●Central officials may not understand local needs.

Federal Systems: Divide Power

●Definition: Power is shared between national and regional governments, each with specific
responsibilities.

Pros:

●Allows regional governments to address local needs.

●Accommodates diverse populations and regional differences.

Cons:

●Can result in a patchwork of competing laws.

●Potential conflicts between national and regional governments.

Confederal Systems: Decentralize Power

Definition: Power resides in independent regions (states) which grant limited power to a central
government for common purposes.

Example: The United States initially used a confederal system under the Articles of Confederation.

Pros:

●Regions retain control over local matters.

●Limits central government power, reducing authoritarian risks.

Cons:

●Weak central government can struggle with national issues.

●Lack of coordination can lead to conflicts among regions.

Parliamentary

vs

Presidential

Democracies

Key Differences:

●How Leaders are Chosen: Presidents are directly elected by the people; Prime Ministers are chosen by
Parliament.

a.The Prime Minister is not directly elected by the people. Instead, voters elect members of
Parliament (lawmakers), and the Parliament then chooses the Prime Minister.

●Separation vs. Fusion of Powers: Presidential systems separate the branches of government, while
parliamentary systems blend them.

●Fixed vs. Flexible Terms: Presidents have set terms, while Prime Ministers can stay in power as long
as they have parliamentary support.

In summary…

A presidential democracy
focuses on the separation
of powers with a directly
elected leader

A parliamentary democracy
blends government branches
and selects the leader
from the legislature.