Presidentialism is a form of government in which the executive and legislative branches of government are elected separately from each other. This differentiates presidentialism from a parliamentary system, in which candidates run for seats in the legislature and then form a government based on a majority party or coalition. All presidential systems are divided into two major categories, pure presidentialism and semi-presidentialism. This entry begins by introducing these main varieties of presidentialism and then discusses the implications of presidentialism for democratic governance. The entry concludes with a discussion of the consequences of presidentialism for mass political behavior.

The Varieties of Presidentialism

The contemporary theoretical vision of presidentialism is strongly influenced by the major contributions of Maurice Duverger, Matthew Shugart, John Carey, and Robert Elgie. Pure presidentialism, ...

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