Reflection on the readings. Social Sciences Essay.

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Reflection on the Readings
Summary
Horowitz uses the work of Professor Juan Linz’s, "The Perils of Presidentialism” to underpin his divergent breakdown of the different types of democracy around the world. Particularly, the article examines the execution and operation of the presidential and parliamentary systems and ascertained that both systems have failed to achieve conciliation, inclusivity, and moderations in many states. Borrowing from Linz’s work, the author argues that the presidential system promotes conflicts, exclusions and irreparable cleavages in the society. In other words, the presidential system is associated with weak cabinets and continuous electoral contests that polarize the society. In the presidential system, the potential for conflict is high because presidents assume that their popularity from the plurality of votes grants them an extremist mandate to abuse power. The fixed term of presidency instill rigidity between elections. Relatively, the parliamentary system emerges as the alternate structure that could solve the crisis associated with the presidential system.
Furthermore, Horowitz asserts that the presidential system has contributed to political instability in countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela and Chile as well as some countries in Asia and Africa. In support with Linz’s contribution, the author confirms that the parliamentary system is not the ultimate solution to the problem as anticipated, since installation created favorable grounds that fostered authoritarianism in the post-colonial Africa. In reference to Sir Arthur Lewis book, “Politics in West Africa”, the nations that inherited the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy saw the winners seizing everything while the losers are excluded. Like the presidential system, the parliamentary system also promotes the game of inclusion and exclusion as well as enhancing rifts among the citizens.
Horowitz establishes that, as the parliame...