Q1.
Fill the blank columns under Country A and Country B in table 9.1 given on the previous page by taking two different countries of your choice.
Answer
Pick two countries whose systems are not already in the table, so that the comparison teaches you something new. Here Country A is the United Kingdom and Country B is France. Fill in the same three columns — executive, legislature, judiciary.
| Country | Executive | Legislature | Judiciary |
|---|---|---|---|
| A — United Kingdom | prime minister and the cabinet (the King is head of state, with nominal power only) | Lower House (House of Commons) is more powerful than Upper House (House of Lords) | independent from executive and legislature (separation of power) |
| B — France | president, elected directly by the people, along with a prime minister | Lower House (National Assembly) is more powerful than Upper House (Senate) | independent from executive and legislature (separation of power) |
How to check any country you choose — ask these three questions in order:
- Who heads the executive, and who elects that person? If the people elect the head directly, it leans presidential; if the legislature's majority decides, it is parliamentary.
- How many houses does the legislature have, and which is stronger? One house, two equal houses, or a stronger lower house.
- Is the judiciary separate from the other two? In every democracy in Table 9.1 the answer is yes.
Tip: the first column of Table 9.1 is headed ‘Institution', but the entries under it — India, USA, South Korea, Australia — are countries. The Hindi edition heads the same column देश (country), which is what the column really holds. Read it as ‘Country'.