HISTORY

ASSIGNMENT
INTRODUCTION
A presidential form of government is a system
where the President is the head of government and
usually also the head of state.
In this system, the people usually elect the President
directly or indirectly for a fixed term. The President
does not depend on the support of the legislature to
remain in office, so the executive and legislature are
more separate than in a parliamentary system.
Key features:
 The President leads the government.
 The President is elected for a fixed term.
 The executive and legislature are separate.
 The President does not need Parliament’s daily
confidence to stay in power.
 Examples include the United States, Brazil,
Mexico, and Indonesia.

A parliamentary form of government is a

system where the executive branch gets its
 power from the legislature, usually called
Parliament.
In this system, the people elect members of
Parliament. The political party or coalition with a
majority usually forms the government, and its
leader becomes the Prime Minister. The Prime
Minister and ministers remain in power only as
long as they have the confidence or support of the
majority in Parliament.
Key features:
 The Prime Minister is the real head of
government.
 The President or monarch may be the
ceremonial head of state.
 The executive and legislature are closely
connected.
 The government can fall if it loses a vote of
confidence.
 Examples include India, the United Kingdom,
Canada, and Australia.

INDIA’S PARLIAMENTARY
FORM OF GOVERNMENT
India has a parliamentary form of government,
which means the government is formed from
Parliament and is answerable to Parliament.
In India, people vote in elections to choose their
representatives. These representatives become
Members of Parliament, or MPs. The most
important elected house of Parliament is the Lok
Sabha. After a general election, the party or group
of parties that gets a majority in the Lok Sabha
forms the government.
The leader of that majority usually becomes
the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister chooses
ministers, and together they form the Council of
Ministers. This group runs the country by making
decisions, handling departments, preparing laws,
and carrying out policies.
India also has a President. The President is the
head of the country according to the Constitution,
but the President usually acts on the advice of the
Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. So, the
President is the constitutional head, while the
Prime Minister is the real head of the government.
A very important part of India’s parliamentary
system is responsibility. The government must
have the support of the Lok Sabha. If most Lok
Sabha members no longer support the
government, they can pass a no-confidence
motion. If this happens, the government must
resign.
Parliament also checks the government. MPs can
ask questions, debate policies, discuss laws, and
criticize the actions of ministers. This helps make
sure that the government does not act without
accountability.
So, in simple words: India’s people elect
Parliament, Parliament helps form the government,
the Prime Minister leads the government, and the
government must keep the support of Parliament
to stay in power.

THE COMPSITION:
The Indian Parliament is composed of three
parts: the President of India, the Lok Sabha,
and the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha is the lower house, whose
members are directly elected by the people.
The Rajya Sabha is the upper house, whose
members are mostly elected by the elected
members of State Legislative Assemblies.
The President is not a member of either house,
but is an essential part of Parliament because bills
passed by both houses need the President’s assent
to become law.

PRIME MINISTER: SHRI NARENDRA MODI

Shri Narendra Modi is the current Prime Minister
of India and one of the most influential leaders in
the country’s recent political history. He has been
serving as Prime Minister since 26 May 2014 and
began his third term on 9 June 2024. As the
leader of the government, he heads the Council of
Ministers and plays the central role in decision-
making, policy formation, and national
administration.
Before becoming Prime Minister, Narendra Modi
served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001
to 2014. As Prime Minister, he has focused on
areas such as economic development,
infrastructure, digital governance, welfare
schemes, cleanliness campaigns, and
strengthening India’s presence on the global stage.
In India’s parliamentary system, he represents the
leadership of the elected majority and remains
responsible to Parliament.

PRESIDENT: SRHIMATI DROUPADI MURMU

Smt. Droupadi Murmu is the current President of
India and the 15th President of the Republic.
She took the oath of office on 25 July 2022. Her
rise to the highest constitutional post of India is
very significant because she became the first
tribal woman and the second woman to hold
the office of President. She comes from Odisha and
has had a long journey in public life, serving in
different roles before becoming President,
including as the Governor of Jharkhand.
As the President of India, Droupadi Murmu is
the constitutional head of the country. This
means she represents the nation and its
Constitution. She does not run the government on
a daily basis like the Prime Minister, but her role is
extremely important in maintaining the dignity and
proper functioning of the democratic system. Laws
passed by Parliament require the President’s
assent, and important appointments, such as the
Prime Minister and other high constitutional
authorities, are made in her name.

U.S.A’S PRESIDENTIAL
FORM OF GOVERNMENT
The United States has a presidential form of
government, which means the President is the
main head of the government. The President is
both the head of state and the head of
government. This means the President represents
the country in official matters and also leads the
national administration.
In the USA, the people choose the President
through a system called the Electoral College.
The President is elected for a fixed term of four
years and can serve a maximum of two terms.
A very important feature of the U.S. presidential
system is separation of powers. The President
and Congress are elected separately and have
different powers. The President cannot simply
remove members of Congress, and Congress
cannot remove the President just because it
disagrees with him or her. However, Congress can
remove a President through impeachment if there
is serious misconduct.
The system also has checks and balances. This
means each branch can limit the power of the
others. For example, the President can veto bills
passed by Congress, Congress can reject some
presidential appointments, and the Supreme Court
can declare laws or actions unconstitutional.
So, in simple words, the USA’s presidential system
gives strong leadership to the President, but also
divides power carefully among different branches
so that no one person or group becomes too
powerful.

THE COMPOSITION
The presidential government of the USA is
composed of three main branches: the executive,
the legislative, and the judicial.
The executive branch is headed by the President,
who runs the government and carries out laws.
The legislative branch, called Congress, makes
laws and has two houses: the Senate and
the House of Representatives. The judicial
branch, headed by the Supreme Court, interprets
laws and protects the Constitution. Together, these
branches work through separation of powers and
checks and balances.
THE PRESIDENT: DONALD [Link]
Donald J. Trump is the current President of the
United States and serves as the 47th President.
He began his present term on January 20, 2025,
after previously serving as the 45th
President from 2017 to 2021. His return to the
White House is historically notable because he is
one of the few American presidents to serve two
non-consecutive terms. Before politics, he was
widely known as a businessman, real estate
developer, television personality, and public figure.
As President, Donald Trump is both the head of
state and the head of government of the USA.
He leads the executive branch, represents the
country in national and international affairs, and
serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed
forces. His role includes enforcing laws, shaping
policies, appointing important officials with Senate
approval, and working with Congress. At the same
time, his powers are limited by Congress and the
Supreme Court through the system of checks and
balances.

Comparison between the

parliamentary and the
 presidential form of
government
( referring to u.s.a and india )

PRESIDENTIAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT:

U.S.A
Type of system:
The USA follows the presidential form of
government, where the executive is separate from
the legislature and functions independently. The
President is elected for a fixed term and does not
depend on the support of Congress to remain in office.

Head of government:
The President is the real executive head and
directly controls the administration of the country. The
President chooses ministers, takes major policy
decisions, and leads the executive branch without
being a member of Congress.

Head of state:
The President is both the head of state and the
head of government. This means the President
performs ceremonial duties as well as exercises real
political power.

Relation with legislature:

There is a clear distance between the President and
Congress. The President is not a member of Congress,
and members of Congress cannot be ministers in the
President’s cabinet. This creates a strong separation
between law-making and law-executing bodies.

Tenure:
The President enjoys a fixed tenure, usually four
years, and cannot be removed simply because
Congress disagrees with them. Removal is possible only
through impeachment, which is a difficult and rare
process.

Responsibility:
The President is not directly responsible to Congress in
the same daily manner as a parliamentary executive.
Congress can question, investigate, and limit the
President through laws and budget control, but it
cannot remove the President through a simple no-
confidence motion.

Separation of powers:
The USA has a strict separation of powers among
the executive, legislature, and judiciary. Each branch
has its own authority and also checks the powers of the
others. This system is designed to prevent
concentration of power.

PARLIAMENTARY FORM OF GOVERNMENT:

INDIA
Type of system:
The Prime Minister is the real executive head. The
Prime Minister leads the Council of Ministers, decides
government policies, and runs the administration, but
must always maintain support in Parliament.

Head of government:
The Prime Minister is the real executive head. The
Prime Minister leads the Council of Ministers, decides
government policies, and runs the administration, but
must always maintain support in Parliament.

Head of state:
The President is the constitutional head of state,
but most powers are exercised in practice by the Prime
Minister and the Council of Ministers. The Indian
President acts mainly on the advice of the elected
government.

Relation with legislature:

The Prime Minister and ministers are usually members
of Parliament, so the executive and legislature are
closely connected. The government is formed from
the majority party or coalition in Parliament.

Tenure:
The tenure of India’s Parliament, specifically the Lok
Sabha, is normally 5 years from the date of its first
[Link] Rajya Sabha is a permanent house and
is not dissolved; one-third of its members retire
every 2 years.

Responsibility:
The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to
the Lok Sabha. This means the entire government
must resign if it loses the confidence of the lower
house.

Separation of powers:
There is a fusion of powers between the executive
and legislature because the executive is part of
Parliament. This allows quicker coordination between
law-making and administration.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, both India and the USA are democratic
countries, but they follow different forms of
government. India has a parliamentary system,
where the Prime Minister is the real head of
government and remains responsible to the Lok Sabha.
The government in India continues only as long as it
has the support of the majority in Parliament.
On the other hand, the USA has a presidential
system, where the President is both the head of state
and the head of government. The President is elected
for a fixed term and works independently of Congress,
though his powers are checked by Congress and the
Supreme Court. Thus, India emphasizes parliamentary
responsibility, while the USA emphasizes separation of
powers and checks and balances.