Question

Difficulty: MediumParliamentary System of Government

In a parliamentary system of government, structural integration between the organs of state enables government leaders to actively participate in lawmaking. What key constitutional arrangement allows cabinet ministers to directly introduce, defend, and vote on bills within the legislative assembly?

  1. The fusion of executive and legislative powers, requiring cabinet members to be sitting members of the legislatureAnswer
  2. B
    The strict separation of personnel, which prevents executive ministers from holding legislative seats
  3. C
    The judicial oversight principle, which authorizes judges to sponsor executive bills on the floor of parliament
  4. D
    The political neutrality of civil servants, who are tasked with debating policy proposals in the legislative chamber

Answer

The fusion of executive and legislative powers, requiring cabinet members to be sitting members of the legislature
In a parliamentary system of government, the executive branch is embedded within the legislature through the principle of fusion of powers. Because the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers are elected or appointed members of the parliament, they have the constitutional right to introduce, debate, and vote on executive legislation on the floor of the house.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the defining structural feature of executive-legislative relations in a parliamentary system.
In a parliamentary system, the executive branch is drawn directly from and is part of the legislative branch.
This structural overlap is known as the fusion of powers.
2
Analyze how this structural overlap affects legislative sponsorship and policy formulation.
Because cabinet ministers are simultaneously members of parliament, they possess full legislative privileges to introduce, defend, and vote on executive bills.
Fusion of powers ensures close coordination between executive policymaking and parliamentary approval.

Key Concept

Fusion of Executive and Legislative Powers
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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