UPSC Prelims 2020 · Question 21 of 100

UPSC Prelims 2020 question on Parliamentary System Definition

  • ExamUPSC CSE
  • Year2020
  • PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
  • SubjectPolity
  • TopicSystems of Government
  • DifficultyEasy
  • TypeDirect

A Parliamentary System of Government is one in which

  1. all political parties in the Parliament are represented in the Government
  2. the Government is responsible to the Parliament and can be removed by it
  3. the Government is elected by the people and can be removed by them
  4. the Government is chosen by the Parliament but cannot be removed by it before completion of a fixed term
Show answer

Answer: B. the Government is responsible to the Parliament and can be removed by it

A Parliamentary System of Government is characterized by the principle of cooperation and coordination between the legislative and executive organs.

The features of the Parliamentary government in India are: Presence of nominal and real executives; Majority party rule; Collective responsibility of the executive to the legislature; Membership of the ministers in the legislature; Leadership of the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister; Dissolution of the lower house (Lok Sabha or Assembly).

In a parliamentary system, the Government (executive) is responsible to the Parliament (legislature) and can be removed by it through a vote of no-confidence. This is the defining feature of parliamentary democracy.

Hence option (b) — the Government is responsible to the Parliament and can be removed by it — is the correct answer.

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