ABSTRACT
Presidentialism is a theory about the executive, focusing in particular on the relationship between the executive and the legislature. Basically, in presidential systems the head of state – the president – wields real power, and does not only possess a symbolic function. Presidents may exercise various powers or prerogatives, by themselves or together with other offices and organizations. It is necessary to pay attention to the variation in presidential executives, as, for instance, European presidentialism is very different from the American brand which tends to be the type of presidentialism found outside of Europe (Lijphart 1992; Mainwaring 1993; Stepan and Skatch 1993; Moe and Caldwell 1994; Döring 1997; Riggs 1997).
