Government Preferable in a Presidential System? Why

¶ … Government preferable in a Presidential system? Why or why not?

Before it can be considered whether a divided government is preferable in a presidential system, divided government must be defined. A divided government refers to a government, in which the president is a member of one political party, and at least one chamber of Congress, whether the Senate or the House of Representatives, is controlled by the opposite political party. Divided government is a frequent historical occurrence in America, meant to dissuade radical changes in policy and to motivate politicians of both parties to compromise on proposed legislation. Divided government is natural in a presidential democracy, and is preferable to a one-party congress when balance and stability of government is the chief cause for concern, as it was for the founding fathers in the 18th century.

It is normal for presidential systems to become divided governments, particularly in the mid-term elections. In the post-World War II era, 17 of 28 national elections of the United States produced a divided government, and rarely has the United States seen administrations where the White House and Congress were aligned with the same party. This divided-ness seems to outsider nations to be incredibly unwieldy and slow, especially when it comes to international treaties, which requires all three houses to cooperate. This system is important, however, because it is representing a checks and balances system in action. In such a large country, with divided states as America has, it is important to instill a sense of unity, one that is provided when two different parties are allowed some measure of power at the same time. It is interesting to note that when the founders first setup our government, they did not much consider political parties as they exist today. The concern of the founders was more placed in the careful balance between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, in order to weaken the federal government further. The federal government originally was far weaker than it now is, states held far more responsibility in concerns such as currency, trade, and even the states military.

One problem of a divided government is the presence of considerable deadlock and conflict between issues among the divided parties. This problem does not happen in parliamentary systems, since the ruling party controls all functions of government, and the minority party can merely voice its opinion. The slowness of the presidential system is frustrating for many observers, as controversial legislation is often not even presented in divided congresses, so that one party can seek to pass that legislation during a time of one party rule. This means legislation that is passed during divided government is usually weaker, less controversial, and less costly than in divided congress times.