# Is a Parliamentary system better than a Presidential system?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-parliamentary-system-better-than-a-presidential-system/788297>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [June 6, 2017, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-parliamentary-system-better-than-a-presidential-system/788297 "2017-06-06T19:42:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Onyerbike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onyerbike/32/5402_2.png) [@Onyerbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onyerbike)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-parliamentary-system-better-than-a-presidential-system/788297/61 "2017-06-19T03:32:20Z")

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I want to add that westminster PM’s cannot in normal circumstances issue anything like an executive order. Everything has to go thru two houses and a lot of public scrutiny before stuff actually happens - ie as normal legislation. To this end I would opinion there are less stupid surprises. The PM is three things; an administrative power within their own party, a figurehead to the public voters for said party, and a foreign ambassador to just about everybody else. The rest of their job is being another minister at the fancy shouting table.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-parliamentary-system-better-than-a-presidential-system/788297/62 "2017-06-19T13:39:19Z")

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Eh? There is administrative law in parliamentary systems, just as there is in presidential ones.

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**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-parliamentary-system-better-than-a-presidential-system/788297/63 "2017-06-19T13:52:55Z")

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Sort of. The built-in majority in the House of Commons makes major decrees that have no parliamentary angle rare and unnecessary; they can issue Statutory Instruments or Orders in/of Council and they usually get the blessing or tolerance of Parliament anyway. Parliament is intimately involved in them.

If we had a separation of powers like the US, however, plus the current degree of partisanship, I’d imagine their scope and detachment from Parliament to increase.

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