The presidential and parliamentary forms of government differ primarily in the relationship and separation between the executive and legislative branches, as well as in how executive leadership is chosen and held accountable.

Key Differences

• Separation of Powers
  • In a presidential system , the executive (president) and legislature are separate and independently elected. The president serves as both head of state and head of government with a fixed term and is not accountable to the legislature through votes of confidence

* In a **parliamentary system** , the executive is drawn from the legislature, and there is a fusion of powers. The prime minister, who is head of government, is accountable to the parliament and can be removed by a vote of no confidence

• Executive Leadership
  • The president in a presidential system is directly elected by the people or an electoral college and appoints cabinet ministers independently

* The **prime minister** in a parliamentary system is typically elected by the members of parliament and leads the government formed by the majority party or coalition. The prime minister appoints cabinet ministers from the legislature and must maintain parliamentary confidence

• Accountability and Stability
  • In a parliamentary system , the government can be dissolved by the parliament through a vote of no confidence, and the prime minister can call for new elections

* In a **presidential system** , the president’s term is fixed and cannot be ended by the legislature through a vote of no confidence. The president cannot dissolve the legislature or call elections

• Legislative Role and Powers
  • The parliament holds significant control over legislation and policy-making and can dismiss the government if it loses confidence

* The **president** has a considerable role in legislation, including veto power, but the legislature operates independently

• Head of State vs. Head of Government
  • In a parliamentary system , the roles of head of state and head of government are separate. The head of state may be a monarch or ceremonial president, while the prime minister is the head of government

* In a **presidential system** , the president combines both roles

Summary Table

Feature| Parliamentary System| Presidential System
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Executive-Legislature Relation| Fusion of powers; executive from legislature| Separation of powers; independently elected
Head of Government| Prime Minister, accountable to parliament| President, fixed term, not accountable to legislature
Government Formation| Majority party/coalition in parliament| President forms government independently
Accountability Mechanism| Vote of no confidence can remove government| Fixed term; no vote of no confidence
Power to Dissolve Legislature| Prime minister can dissolve parliament| President cannot dissolve legislature
Head of State| Separate ceremonial role| President is head of state and government

These structural differences shape how laws are made, how stable governments are, and how executive power is exercised in each system