ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the rules of cabinet formation, which speaks directly to the relations between the executive and legislative powers. Most European democracies have a parliamentary system in which the cabinet with a prime minister or chancellor at its head is appointed by the Parliament. Most European democracies have a parliamentary system with rules that are fundamentally different from those of the American presidential system. The most important characteristic of the parliamentary system is that the executive is selected by Parliament and depends on the confidence of Parliament for survival. The voters elect their Parliament, which is, therefore, the sole body that can claim to represent the will of the people in a direct way. The chapter discusses situations in which a single party possesses an absolute majority in Parliament and forms the cabinet alone. It also discusses four European democracies in which the executive cabinet is selected by Parliament: Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden.
