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Are Parliamentary Systems Better?

Boston University

Strom C. Thacker

Boston University

Carola Moreno

Boston University

The institutional differences between presidential and parliamentary rule are well known, yet the practical effects of these divergent constitutional arrangements within democratic polities have received scant attention. This article employs a global data set to test the relationship between a historical measure of parliamentary rule and 14 indicators ranging across three policy areas: political development, economic development, and human development. The study revealed a strong relationship between parliamentarism and good governance, particularly in the latter two policy areas. To the extent that these institutions influence the quality of governance, parliamentary systems may offer advantages over presidential systems of democratic rule.

Key Words: presidentialism • parliamentarism/parliamentary • governance • development • separation of powers

This version was published on March 1, 2009

Comparative Political Studies, Vol. 42, No. 3, 327-359 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0010414008325573


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