What are the Demerits of the Presidential Form of Government in India?

The presidential form of government is based upon the principle that separates the executive branch of the government from its legislative branch. In this system, the executive is not dependent on the legislature’s ability to control. If we follow the definition provided by Raymond Garfield Getell (political science professor), then we can say that the presidential form of government is a type of government where the chief executive is not dependent upon the legislature to set its tenure, and to a large extent, even its acts and policies. In this particular system, the head of the state, who is usually the president, is the real executive.

If we follow D V Verney’s definition, then the term ‘presidential form of government’ refers to a particular type of government where the office of the head of the Government of India and the head of the state are merged. 

Thus, we can say that there are two main features of the presidential executive i.e. it is independent and not responsible to the legislature with regard to its tenure and united structure. A few countries have this particular type of government, including the USA, Sri Lanka, and Brazil.

Features of the Presidential System

Below we have discussed the features of the presidential form of government. Keep in mind that India does not have a presidential government but a parliamentary one.

1. The presidential form has a real head of the state: Just as the parliamentary government has the prime minister as the head of state, in the presidential form of government, the head of a state is also the actual executive head. 

2. The powers are separated: The entire presidential form of government is based on the theory of separation of power amongst the three different organs of the government. This means that the executive is not answerable to the legislature, the executive does not have the power to dissolve the legislative body, and the judiciary is not dependent on either the executive or legislature. 

3. It is based on a principle of checks and balances: Although the three organs are not dependent on one another, they are still responsible for checking one another’s powers and restraining each other if they find any kind of offence in their functions and powers. 

4. The president has the supreme position: In the presidential form of government, it is the president who has the superior position, as all the government’s power is actually vested upon him.

5. There is a low probability of good laws getting enacted, since there is very less harmony between the executive and legislature: Despite this weakness, one must keep in mind that there are many cases where the presidential form of government turned out to be quite successful, such as in the United States. 

Demerits of the Presidential System

There are many demerits of the presidential system or the presidential form of government:

1. There is a high chance of the executive becoming authoritative: Since the president enjoys vast power along with a fixed tenure in the presidential form of government In India, there is quite a high chance of him taking advantage of his power. 

2. One of the biggest disadvantages of the presidential form of government is that there are many chances of deadlocks (which are obstacles in the way of passing bills) appearing between the different organs: There is a high possibility of deadlocks appearing between the different organs of the government, namely the legislative, executive, and judiciary.

3. The high rigidity of the constitution is criticised by several critics, since a certain level of flexibility is always necessary to cope with the constantly changing situations and circumstances. 

4. Certain laws may not get enacted since the executive and legislature do not work together, thus creating a disharmony between the two: Despite this weakness, one must keep in mind there are many cases where the presidential form of government turned out to be quite successful, such as in the case of an emergency. 

Conclusion

The presidential form of government is when the head of the government, usually the president, takes charge of the executive branch of the government. It comes with a few demerits, such as there being a high chance of the executive taking advantage of his power. Since the President enjoys vast power along with a fixed tenure in the presidential form of government in India, there is quite a high chance of him taking advantage of his power and acting like an authoritative figure.