UPSC Prelims 2017 GS Paper I · Q46 of 100 Polity & Governance easy

The main advantage of the parliamentary form of government is that

  1. (a) the executive and legislature work independently.
  2. (b) it provides continuity of policy and is more efficient.
  3. (c) the executive remains responsible to the legislature. ✓ UPSC's answer
  4. (d) the head of the government cannot be changed without election.

Why the answer is (c)

• The defining merit of parliamentary government is that the executive (Council of Ministers) is drawn from and continuously accountable to the legislature, which can question, censure and remove it — ensuring responsible government — option (c).

• Option (a) describes the presidential system's separation; options (b) and (d) — policy continuity and a fixed-term head — are advantages claimed for the presidential system, not the parliamentary one.

• Hence option (c).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) the executive and legislature work independently.
Independent executive and legislature is the presidential model.
(b) it provides continuity of policy and is more efficient.
Continuity and efficiency are claimed for presidential systems.
(d) the head of the government cannot be changed without election.
A fixed, unremovable head is a presidential feature.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017, held on 18 June 2017. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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