Parliamentary government is a Democratic government in which the political party with the most seats in the legislature or Parliament during the federal election becomes the government. India has a parliamentary form of government similar to that of the United Kingdom. A parliamentary system of government is one in which the administration and legislature are practically closed to each other and their powers are split. As a result, the Parliament is a superior concept.

This article explains the Parliamentary government, its characteristics, significance and criticism are important for UPSC IAS exam preparation.

Parliamentary Form of Government – Concept

• A parliamentary system, often known as parliamentary democracy, is a form of democratic administration in which the executive gains political legitimacy by commanding the support ("confidence") of the legislative, usually a parliament, to whom it is accountable.
• The head of state in a parliamentary system is generally separate from the head of government.
• It is in contrast to a presidential system, in which the head of state is frequently also the head of government and, more significantly, the executive does not get democratic legitimacy from the legislative.
• Parliamentary government, also known as a cabinet government, responsible government, or the Westminster model of government, is popular in the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and India.

Parliamentary Form of Government- Historical Background

• There have been councils or a headman whose judgments were appraised by village elders since ancient times when civilizations were tribal. These councils eventually transformed into the contemporary parliamentary system.
• The first parliaments were established in Europe during the Middle Ages, with Alfonso IX, King of Leon (Spain), convening the three states in the Cortes of León in 1188.
• During the Dutch rebellion (1581), when the States-General of the Netherlands took over the sovereign, legislative, and executive powers from the king, King Philip II of Spain, an early form of parliamentary governance arose in today's Netherlands and Belgium.
• Between 1707 and 1800, the modern notion of parliamentary governance originated in the United Kingdom, and between 1721 and 1772, the Parliamentary System in Sweden.
• In the years following World War I, democracy and parliamentarism were increasingly popular in Europe.

Parliamentary Form of Government- Characteristics

• A parliamentary system can be bicameral (meaning there are two chambers of parliament) or unicameral (meaning there is just one chamber of parliament).
• A bicameral parliament generally consists of a lower house that is directly elected and has the authority to choose the executive administration, as well as an upper chamber that is appointed or elected through a different procedure than the lower house.

Arend Lijphart, a democracy scholar, distinguishes between two forms of parliamentary democracies: Westminster and Consensus.

Westminster System

• The Westminster system is most commonly seen in Commonwealth countries and countries inspired by British political traditions.
• These parliaments feature a more combative discussion style, with the plenary session of parliament taking precedence over committees.
• Some parliaments under this paradigm, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Malaysia, are elected using a plurality voting system (first past the post), while others, like Ireland and New Zealand, utilize some kind of proportional representation.

Consensus system

• The Western European parliamentary style (for example, Spain and Germany) features a more consensus debate procedure with semi-circular debating chambers.
• Consensus systems are more likely than Westminster Model legislatures to adopt proportional representation with open party lists.

Significance of Parliamentary Form of Government

• Coordination between the legislature and the executive: The most significant feature of the parliamentary system is that it ensures a cordial connection and collaboration between the legislative and executive parts of government.
• Responsible Government: By its very nature, the parliamentary system produces accountable government. All actions of omission and conduct by ministers must be reported to Parliament. Question hour, debates, adjournment motions, no-confidence motions, and other methods are used by Parliament to exercise control over ministers.
• Prevents Despotism: Under this system, executive power is assigned to a group of persons (council of ministers) rather than a single person. The executive's totalitarian tendencies are curtailed by this decentralization of power. Furthermore, the executive is responsible to Parliament and can be dismissed by a vote of no confidence.
• Wide Representation: In a parliamentary system, the executive is made up of a group of persons (i.e., ministers who are representatives of the people). As a consequence, all groups and areas of the country can be represented in the government. When choosing ministers, the prime minister can take this into account.

Criticism

• Members of parliament will become overly powerful, arrogant, and more prone to misuse of power: While the parliamentary system appears to always support good governance, it will also cause members of parliament to become overly powerful, arrogant, and more likely to abuse political power.
• In other words, in a parliamentary form of governance, members of parliament are supreme and untouchable.
• The Prime Minister is loyal to his party: In a parliamentary form of government, the prime minister is typically devoted to his party rather than the public since he is directly chosen as party leader and therefore becomes Prime Minister. As a result, he will be more devoted to his party than to his people.
• Government uncertainty and instability: There is no question that with a parliamentary form of government, the prime minister's term is always uncertain since the parliament may fire him at any time with a "vote of no confidence".
• This might result in a crisis, segregation, or governance instability.
• Overburdening cabinet members with double functions: The integration of legislative and executive powers in cabinet members may overload cabinet members with double functions, and certain ministers may struggle to comply.
• It may also result in government inefficiency, as the convergence of powers and responsibilities of the legislative and executive branches of government will be too much for the cabinet to handle.
• Finally, while it is true that the parliamentary system requires fewer people to manage both legislative and executive tasks, it is crucial to remember that a minister may lack specialty in the art of governing in one arm of government, resulting in inefficiency in that area.

Why did India Adopt a Parliamentary form of Government?

• Because we were familiar with its operation during British colonial rule, India adopted the Parliamentary system of governance.
• The form of government that existed in India before independence was remarkably similar to that of the United Kingdom.
• The British System had a strong effect on the authors of the Indian Constitution. As a result, the members of the Constituent Assembly chose this style of administration for India's independence.

Difference between the Parliamentary and Presidential forms of the Government

Conclusion

India also adopted the Parliamentary form of Government because the constitution-makers of India were heavily influenced by the English system, thus they adopted a parliamentary form of governance. Another thing the founding fathers realized was that the parliamentary model would only work to accommodate the diverse and disparate communities that make up our country. Thus, now India is the largest democracy in the world with a Parliamentary form of Government.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Who is the head of state in a parliamentary form of government in India?

A) Prime Minister
B) Chief Justice
C) President
D) Speaker of the Lok Sabha

2. What is the principle of collective responsibility in the parliamentary system?

A) Individual accountability
B) Cabinet's collective accountability to the President
C) Cabinet’s collective accountability to the Parliament
D) Prime Minister’s responsibility to the judiciary

3. What is the role of the Rajya Sabha in the Indian Parliament?

A) Legislative body that introduces Money Bills
B) Upper House representing states
C) House that controls the executive
D) The body that elects the President

4. What happens when a government loses the confidence of the Lok Sabha?

A) It continues to function
B) It must call for new elections
C) It resigns
D) It dissolves the Lok Sabha

5. Which system does the Indian Parliament follow for passing laws?

A) Presidential
B) Federal
C) Parliamentary
D) Dictatorship

GS Mains Questions and Answers

Q1: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the parliamentary form of government in India.

Answer: The parliamentary system ensures collective responsibility and accountability, where the government remains answerable to the Parliament. It promotes close cooperation between the executive and legislature. However, coalition politics can lead to instability, and the frequent need for confidence votes may slow down decision-making. Additionally, the dominance of the Prime Minister in the system sometimes diminishes the role of individual ministers.

Q2: Examine how the principle of collective responsibility influences policy-making in India’s parliamentary system.

Answer: The principle of collective responsibility ensures that decisions made by the Cabinet are supported by all members. This creates a unified approach to policy-making and ensures that the government speaks with one voice. However, it also limits the ability of individual ministers to express dissent publicly, as they must support government decisions or resign.

Q3: Analyze the role of the Prime Minister in India’s parliamentary system and how it differs from the role of the President.

Answer: In India’s parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is the head of the government and plays a central role in executive decision-making, formulating policies, and leading the Council of Ministers. In contrast, the President is the ceremonial head of state, with limited powers primarily confined to constitutional duties. While the President can act as a check during certain situations (e.g., in coalition scenarios), the Prime Minister leads the country’s day-to-day governance.

Previous Year Questions on Parliamentary System

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2020

Question: What is the principle of collective responsibility in the context of the parliamentary system?
A) The Parliament's collective responsibility to the President
B) The Cabinet's collective responsibility to the Parliament
C) The President’s responsibility to the judiciary
D) The Prime Minister’s individual accountability to the Parliament

Answer: B

Explanation: In a parliamentary system, the Cabinet is collectively responsible to the Parliament, specifically to the Lok Sabha.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2019

Question: Discuss how the parliamentary system in India ensures accountability of the executive to the legislature.

Answer: The parliamentary system in India ensures that the executive is directly accountable to the legislature, particularly to the Lok Sabha. This accountability is maintained through mechanisms such as question hour, votes of confidence, no-confidence motions, and parliamentary committees. Ministers must answer queries posed by MPs, and the government needs to retain the confidence of the majority to continue functioning.