Dezbaterea constitutionala

O dezbatere importanta si pierduta in sictirul stirilor cotidiene, inclusiv de catre mine. Dar planuiesc sa ma intorc:D, asa ca postez materiale pregatitoare:

Presidents with Prime-Ministers - Do direct elections matter?

"That institutions matter is by now a rather well-rehearsed mantra among social scientists. Just how much, when, and what types of institutions matter, however, is much less clear. This book investigates the consequences of one particular institutional choice—the selection mechanism
of a president in parliamentary systems. Discussions on the advantages and consequences of holding a direct popular election versus an indirect selection to choose the head of state are rare within the existing literature. Despite this, researchers blindly accept certain assumptions about direct presidential elections. A common argument is that direct elections enhance presidents’ legitimacy thereby increasing their activism and encouraging authoritarian tendencies. Another popular assumption is that direct presidential elections are more heavily contested and partisan, leading to polarization and divisiveness among political elites an within the electorate. Many scholars assume the validity of these theories without providing much empirical support. This book challenges the conventional wisdom by demonstrating that the mode of presidential selection has no significant effect on how a parliamentary regime functions.
The book demonstrates that compared to indirect selection methods, direct elections do not yield more active and contentious presidents, do not polarize political elites or society, and do not remedy political apathy. Rather, presidential activism in both “semi-presidential” and “pure parliamentary” systems is shaped by political opportunity framework—the institutional strength and partisan composition of both parliament and government; and the nature of presidential elections depend on the incentives and choices of political parties."