Western European parliamentary model
Encyclopedia
The Western European parliamentary model, also known as the West German model (due to the Bundestag
of West Germany
, now Germany
, devised much of this system's basis), is a form of parliamentary system
in which greater emphasis is placed upon consent between the wide number of sitting parties in the parliament (most of them elected through a party-list proportional representation
electoral method). It is a chief competitor to the Westminster system
used in a large number of Commonwealth countries' legislatures. The committees of the Parliaments using the Western European model tend to be more important than the plenary chamber. Switzerland
is considered one the purest examples of a consensus system.
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
of West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, now Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, devised much of this system's basis), is a form of parliamentary system
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
in which greater emphasis is placed upon consent between the wide number of sitting parties in the parliament (most of them elected through a party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
electoral method). It is a chief competitor to the Westminster system
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
used in a large number of Commonwealth countries' legislatures. The committees of the Parliaments using the Western European model tend to be more important than the plenary chamber. Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
is considered one the purest examples of a consensus system.
Features
- Constructive vote of no confidenceConstructive vote of no confidenceThe constructive vote of no confidence is a variation on the motion of no confidence which allows a parliament to withdraw confidence from a head of government only if there is a positive majority for a prospective successor...
- in which the opposition calls for an opposition replacement for the sitting prime minister when the opposition wants a parliamentary vote on the legislators' level of confidence in the incumbent. - Parliamentary group - parliamentary groups are more necessary to unify core interests and ideologies of various parties
- Consensus democracyConsensus democracyConsensus democracy is the application of consensus decision-making to the process of legislation in a democracy. It is characterised by a decision-making structure which involves and takes into account as broad a range of opinions as possible, as opposed to systems where minority opinions can...