by Michael Totten

Created on: July 12, 2008

Representational democracy has spawned two major systems of government: congressional and parliamentary. The major distinction between the two is in the division of legislative and executive power. In the parliamentary system, the head of the executive branch of government is chosen by the elected representatives, usually from among themselves. In the congressional system, executive power is separated from the legislative branch, and the head of the executive branch of government is elected directly by the people.

Both parliamentary and congressional systems have one or more houses of assembly, at least one of which is composed of individuals who have been elected by the people of their electoral districts to represent them at the federal level. (Where there is a second house of assembly, it may be elected, appointed, or hereditary.) These representatives are chosen based on three sets of considerations: their individual policy platforms, the party to which they belong and which usually helps fund their electoral campaign, and last but not least, their individual personalities. In both congressional and parliamentary systems it is possible, but rare, for representatives to be elected even when they have no party affiliation (the true independent).

The term 'congress' comes from the Latin 'congressum', meaning 'came together'. It refers to a specific unicameral or bicameral body within the legislative branch of government. Congressional leaders are limited to administrating the daily business of their respective houses, while executive power is vested in an independently elected president and a small inner cabinet appointed by the president. Congressional structures dominate in the western hemisphere.

The term 'parliament' comes from the French 'parlement', meaning 'the action of talking'. While a house of parliament (sometimes called a national assembly) can be loosely seen as an approximate equivalent to a congress, 'parliament' itself refers to the entire structure of government. Executive power is vested in a prime minister chosen by the elected representatives and a small inner cabinet appointed by the prime minster. Because most parliaments are modeled on the Westminster model, parliamentary structures dominate in Commonwealth countries.

A common point of confusion about the parliamentary system concerns how the prime minister of a country is chosen. Both prime minister and members of cabinet will usually, but not always, have themselves been elected within

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