Semi-presidential executive
Also called: Semi-presidential system · Topic: Union Executive: President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "Executive"
Meaning
A semi-presidential executive mixes two systems. It has a strong president, plus a prime minister who answers to parliament. So power is shared between two leaders. Sometimes the president and the PM come from rival parties. The French call this cohabitation, meaning "living together".
Example
France, Russia and Sri Lanka have semi-presidential executives. In France, a president from one party may have to work with a PM from the rival party, because that party controls parliament.
Don't confuse with
- Presidential system: here one elected president (as in the USA) is both head of state and head of government, with a fixed term. There is no PM who answers to the legislature.
- Parliamentary system: here the head of state is only nominal and the PM and cabinet hold real power. India has a President but a parliamentary executive.
Related concepts
- Presidential system
- Parliamentary system
- Executive presidency of Sri Lanka
- Nominal executive
- Real executive