Chapter 6

Political institutions, such as those that make up the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, are essential to the functioning of government and to understanding politics. Most modern states have written constitutions that define the formal powers of their governmental institutions. However, these formal powers do not always translate directly into actual power. The social, cultural, and historical contexts in which formal institutions exist can have significant bearing on how institutions function in practice. This chapter examines such questions as whether certain institutional arrangements achieve greater political accountability and whether one branch of government is being strengthened by such trends as the increasing complexity of governance.

The executive and legislative branches are discussed together because their relationship helps distinguish different models of democratic government: parliamentarism, presidentialism, and semi-presidentialism. There is also a difference between what some comparativists call majoritarian democracies and consensus democracies. Among all of these distinctions, which types of democratic institutions result in greater representation? Which lead to more efficient governance or stability?

The chapter also deals with the judiciary, the least studied branch of government in comparative politics. On a daily basis, its job is to enforce a state’s laws, but its more important political role is interpreting those laws, particularly the state’s constitution. Crucial issues in for the judiciary are judicial autonomy and judicial independence.

All states have an executive branch that includes a bureaucracy of some sort. The ideal modern bureaucracy would consist of officials appointed on the basis of merit and expertise who implement policies lawfully, treat all citizens equally according to the relevant laws, and are held accountable by the elected head of the executive branch. This is not always the case, as bureaucracies become mired in corruption, rent seeking, and the principal-actor problem.

Finally, the chapter examines federalism (as opposed to unitary systems), which encompass the constitutional division of power between central and regional, provincial, or state governments.  Federalism exists mainly in large and heterogeneous states and comes in two forms: symmetrical and asymmetrical.  Federalism is a common means to manage ethnic or other regional conflicts. 

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should understand:

• The differences between and importance of vertical and horizontal accountability.
   
• How relations between the executive and legislative branches differ in parliamentary versus presidential systems.
   
• The primary differences between common law and code law.
   
• The characteristics and goals of federal systems of government.
   
• Ways in which democratic institutions can vary in both design and implementation.