WAEC Government 2015 Theory — Question 4

Model answer

(i) In a presidential system: (a) Members of the executive are not part of the legislature - the President and his ministers are not members of the legislature. (b) Separate elections are held for members of the legislature and the executive. (c) The judiciary is composed of a body of persons different from members of the executive and the legislature. (ii) In a parliamentary system (there exists some, though limited, separation of powers): (a) Legislative power is vested in the parliament, a body different from the executive organ - though all members of the executive, including the Prime Minister, belong to the parliament. (b) The judiciary is also established as an independent branch of government for interpreting laws, with membership composition different from the executive and legislature. (c) The executive and legislature are elected together, so the executive emerges from the legislature - there is no strict separation of powers here because of the overlap (fusion) of membership.