Social Sciences and History / Unit 9 SSH 0836 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
Parliamentary or Presidential, Federal or Unitary: Classifying a Regime
The idea
The exam describes a representative government and asks its type, and the anchor sorts on two axes. Territory: a federal system divides power between national and regional governments; a unitary system holds power almost wholly at the national level. Executive: in a parliamentary system the legislature selects the executive, and a coalition government forms when no party holds a majority; in a congressional or presidential system powers are separated and the executive is independently elected, with legislators usually chosen from set districts. Elections cut across both: some parliaments, the anchor's example Israel's Knesset, seat parties by their share of the vote, proportional representation; Mexico blends district seats with proportional ones. A recent trend is illiberal representative government, elected majorities rejecting rights standards, for which the anchor names Hungary and India.
In practice
Given "the prime minister lost a confidence vote and the cabinet fell", parliamentary. Given "the president and the legislature were elected separately and belong to different parties", presidential. Given "provinces keep their own police and schools by constitutional right", federal. Given "every major official answers to the whole national electorate", unitary. Given "seats were allotted to each party by its percentage", proportional.
Where people slip
The trap is assuming parliamentary means unitary; the axes are independent. The second trap is naming the parties; the course names the country and the type as the anchor's example and no more.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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