List of Pros and Cons of Parliamentary Democracy

In every country that practices parliamentary democracy there are an array of benefits and disadvantages to consider. From giving parties too much power to enabling coalitions, as with any part of the government there are pros and cons to take under advisement.

List of Pros of Parliamentary Democracy

1. Establishing Responsibility
There will be several groups inside of the government ranging from natural resources to public health. Each of these groups will require a leader when you take parliamentary democracy into account. Since there will be an individual who essentially manages each group, this helps to not only create accountability but responsibility as well.

2. Flexibility in Electoral Parties
Instead of focusing on 2 main parties that will be running for office, in a parliamentary democracy there can be upwards of 5 parties running to be the head of government. This gives voters the ability to choose from a selection of different people with different views and it also helps to spread change throughout a country. Citizens will be able to feel like they are making more of a difference with a parliamentary democracy.

3. Giving Voices to Minimal Parties
Even individuals who are seen as the minority party are given the opportunity to have a voice in government with a parliamentary democracy. It essentially works on the notion that everyone can have a great idea, even if they aren’t 100% in power.

List of Cons of Parliamentary Democracy

1. Giving too Much Power
Unlike other types of democratic voting systems, one of the main concerns pertaining to parliamentary democracies is the fact that too much power is being given to the minorities and smaller parties. They have the opportunity to get a small following of representatives that can give too much power into the wrong hands and takes the focus off of larger political parties.

2. Eliminating Small Party Concerns
When you take a look at the concerns of small parties, you’ll notice that they are typically running “for the people” and for what the people want. There is very little incentive for larger parties to bring the attention to smaller ones, which eliminates a variety of concerns that regular citizens have.

3. Executive and Legislative Connections
It’s equally important to remember that there is a strong and short connection between the executive and legislative branches in a parliamentary democracy. This results in the inability to keep either group’s power in check.