Parliamentary System
A system of democratic governance where the executive branch (the prime minister and cabinet) derives its legitimacy from and is directly accountable to the legislature (parliament), rather than being elected separately.
A system of democratic governance where the executive branch (the prime minister and cabinet) derives its legitimacy from and is directly accountable to the legislature (parliament), rather than being elected separately.
Example: The United Kingdom operates under a parliamentary system, where the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in the House of Commons and can be removed by a vote of no confidence.
Common misconception: Parliamentary systems are less democratic than presidential systems. They are simply a different structural design; in fact, parliamentary systems often allow for more direct accountability, as the executive can be removed quickly by the legislature without waiting for a fixed term to end.
Sources: https://www.parliament.uk/ — UK Parliament (the primary official source for the example system: PM accountable to the Commons, confidence votes); https://www.britannica.com/ — encyclopedia fallback for the general comparative term