4 ms·

Great read. This has been debated in Latin America for many years. Apparently, the only country where the presidential system works is the USA. And it only work

by huherto 10y ago

Great read. This has been debated in Latin America for many years. Apparently, the only country where the presidential system works is the USA. And it only works because the elites work extra hard to make sure that it works. But the political system has been deteriorating in the later years. More and more polarization. Furthermore, that piece was written in Oct 2015. The author had no knowledge of surrealistic world in Sept 2016.

hga 10y ago
Errr, what about "semi-presidential" systems like France's Fifth Republic? Per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-presidential_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-presidential_system the difference is to whom the cabinet is responsible, i.e. who can fire them. Other examples where I'm pretty sure "it works" would include the Republic of China (Taiwan) and maybe Portugal? From the list of fully presidential with a prime minister (see link below), South Korea seems to have been making it work for a long time now, and, yes, I remember Park Chung-hee et. al. ... ah, and I see his first born daughter is now President, but obtained that by normal means, yes? Hasn't their Sixth Republic has been stable since 1987? For fully presidential, while I'd be hesitant to say Argentina entirely "works", their system of government has been in place since after the Falklands, right? I would tentatively add to the list from vague memory Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the Philippines from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_system#Republics_with_a_presidential_system_of_government https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_system#Republics_... Although few of these systems have been in existence for that many decades (but see my other comment, I believe the same as of Hoover/FDR), and you could legitimately claim e.g. Mexico prior to the PRI allowing itself to lose wasn't really one, but I'm not sure it's quite that dire.
ArkyBeagle 10y ago
I've read too much Graham Greene, which causes me to sort of give up on Latin America. But Micheal Palin's "Brazil" travelogue is quite detailed, and it looks like things are getting better there. I do know that it's a massive country. Then again, the resource curse and Venezuela... tragic. At least the US seems to have given up foementing coups in the region.

by huherto 10y ago

hga 10y ago

Errr, what about "semi-presidential" systems like France's Fifth Republic? Per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-presidential_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-presidential_system the difference is to whom the cabinet is responsible, i.e. who can fire them. Other examples where I'm pretty sure "it works" would include the Republic of China (Taiwan) and maybe Portugal? From the list of fully presidential with a prime minister (see link below), South Korea seems to have been making it work for a long time now, and, yes, I remember Park Chung-hee et. al. ... ah, and I see his first born daughter is now President, but obtained that by normal means, yes? Hasn't their Sixth Republic has been stable since 1987? For fully presidential, while I'd be hesitant to say Argentina entirely "works", their system of government has been in place since after the Falklands, right? I would tentatively add to the list from vague memory Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and the Philippines from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_system#Republics_with_a_presidential_system_of_government https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_system#Republics_... Although few of these systems have been in existence for that many decades (but see my other comment, I believe the same as of Hoover/FDR), and you could legitimately claim e.g. Mexico prior to the PRI allowing itself to lose wasn't really one, but I'm not sure it's quite that dire.

ArkyBeagle 10y ago

I've read too much Graham Greene, which causes me to sort of give up on Latin America. But Micheal Palin's "Brazil" travelogue is quite detailed, and it looks like things are getting better there. I do know that it's a massive country. Then again, the resource curse and Venezuela... tragic. At least the US seems to have given up foementing coups in the region.