The Relationship between Heads of State and Prime Ministers

Abstract

Relations between heads of state and prime ministers vary - both within and between parliamentary and semi-presidential regimes. Presidential and prime minister powers, party and electoral system variation, institutional traditions, as well as non-institutional factors are relevant as to this variation. A constitutional idea behind both semi-presidential and parliamentary systems is that the respective role of the president (or monarch) and the prime minister are complementary and clearly defined: the president upholds popular legitimacy and represents the continuity of state and nation, while the prime minister exercises policy leadership and takes responsibility for the day-to-day functions of government. But an often referred peril of semipresidentialism is the risk of intra-executive conflict between the president and the prime minister. The interaction between presidents, prime ministers and parliament certainly matters to e.g. party formation and behavior, policy co-ordination, cabinet work, and executive control. The aim of this Panel is to bring together papers that from various perspectives address the relationship between presidents, prime ministers and parliament in parliamentary and semi-presidential regimes. The Panel has its main focus on European countries but we also welcome papers covering countries from different parts of the world. Comparative designs and single-case studies are welcomed as well as different kinds of methodological approaches.

Title	Details
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