A Comparison of Premier-presidential and President-parliamentary Systems Based on Presidential Elections

Authors : Abdullah Metin, Ömer Faruk Uğurlu

Pages : 80-92

Doi:10.25204/iktisad.1567336

View : 41 | Download : 38

Publication Date : 2025-02-28

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :While forms of government are generally divided into four main categories, Shugart and Carey suggested that the semi-presidential system should be divided into two categories: president-parliamentary and premier-presidential. This study aims to assess the validity of their suggestion by comparing these two systems based on presidential elections. We hypothesize that president-parliamentary and premier-presidential systems significantly differ from each other in terms of the effective number of parties (ENP), the vote ratio of the first party to the second party (VR1:2), and the round in which the presidential elections conclude. To test this hypothesis, we created a dataset by calculating ENP and VR1:2 for the last five presidential elections in 58 countries that adopted either a premier-presidential or president-parliamentary system. The Laakso-Taagepera Index (L-T Index) was used for ENP calculations. The dataset was analyzed using SPSS. The results confirm the hypothesis: ENP is lower in president-parliamentary systems (2.28) and higher in premier-presidential systems (3.22). VR1:2 is higher in president-parliamentary systems (7.02) and lower in premier-presidential systems (3.23). Along with this quantitative evidence and considering the differences in democratic functioning between the two systems, it becomes evident that these two systems are not subtypes of the semi-presidential system, but distinct systems in their own right.
Keywords : Siyasi sistem, Yarı-başkanlık, Başbakancı-başkanlık, Başkancı-parlamenter, Etkin Parti Sayısı, Laakso-Taagepera İndeksi

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