Prime Ministers vs. Presidents

[dannyshenanigan]

Because I enjoy memorizing things for no reason, I'm memorizing world leaders, right now I can name the leaders of around 80 nations of the top of my head. But I have a problem

Sometimes it can be difficult to discern the actual leaders of a nation in the parlimentary republics around the World, when they have a president and a prime minister. Usually the Prime Minister as head of government is the most powerful while the President as head of state is usually a figurehead with little power; however, that is not always the case in all nations and this has me confused sometimes.

What I know is=
-If a nation has a monarchy it is usually obvious that the prime minister has the most power in most cases.
-The Americas usually only have a president, except former British colonies.
-In former British colonies usually the p.m. is more powerful except in South Africa and Pakistan where the pres. has the power.
-In Former Soviet republics the pres. is more powerful

Also some obvious ones that don't fall in the above categories that I already know
France-pres.
Italy-p.m.
Germany-Chancellor (which is basically a p.m.)
Greece-p.m.
Finland-pres.
Turkey-p.m.
Egypt-pres.
Iraq-p.m.
Syria-pres.
China-pres.
Japan-p.m.
S. Korea-pres
Indonesia-pres.

If anyone can help me with other nations I'd appreciate it.

 

[warpus]

With the other 250 nations?

 

[Babbler]

Systems of Government (Blue = "democratic" presidential, Red = "undemocratic" presidential, Green = "Parliamentary):

Spoiler :

Via obsessive nerds of Wikiland.

 

[EconomistBR]

In Brazil - President Lula da Silva
No prime minister, although I would prefer it instead. The president now that has to "bribe" his way in Congress.

In Russia president-dictator-father of the nation-super soldier-semi God Vladimir Putin
yes....those Russians are going crazzzzyyyyyy!!!!!

 

[dannyshenanigan]

That map was just what I needed, except one thing I noticed is that it has South Africa as parliamentary when they don't even have a p.m., only president Thabo Mbeki. Perhaps South Africa calls their p.m. president?

 

[Steph]

What do you mean by "actual leader"? The man who represent the country internationally?
Who runs the government?
Who proposes the law?

Depending on your definition, France cannot be reduced to simply presidential.
We have a prime minister to.

 

[Arwon]

He means head of day-to-day government.

France is probably better defined as a hybrid system, it's nowhere near as presidential as the United States, but nowhere near as parliamentary as, say, Ireland even though Ireland has both a president and a prime minister too.

With South Africa, I think the fact that the parliament chooses the president is significant... it means he is beholden to parliament in a way that the president in a true presidential system is not (for example, in the US where the only way to remove the president is impeachment and that's horrendously difficult).

Just to add to the confusion, here in Spain, Zapatero is el presidente but his position is essentially that of a prime minister.

 

[Steph]

then in day to day government, it has been the prime minister for a very long time, but now with Sarkozy the focus has shifted toward the president.

 

[RedRalph]

Ireland: Taoiseach (P.M.) is the person who runs the country
President is ceremonial

 

[Steph]

Ireland: Taoiseach (P.M.) is the person who runs the country

You forgot to put a u there and you could have all the vowels.

How the hell do you pronounce that?

 

[RedRalph]

You forgot to put a u there and you could have all the vowels.

How the hell do you pronounce that?

Tee-shock


10

 

[Steph]

Thanks, now I remember the name from a discussion I had in Dublin with my Irish customer. But I had no idea how it was spelled.

Why do you write "aoi" if you just want an "ee" sound?

 

[RedRalph]

Thanks, now I remember the name from a discussion I had in Dublin with my Irish customer. But I had no idea how it was spelled.

Why do you write "aoi" if you just want an "ee" sound?

Because we're speaking a different language and "ee" dosent make that sound in Irish

 

[Arwon]

Sorry Steph, you're French, you don't get to criticise the nonsensical spellings and pronunciations of other languages any more than English-speakers do...

 

[Steph]

Because we're speaking a different language and "ee" dosent make that sound in Irish

You could use a simple "i" as it's done in the most civilized language in the world (French of course)

See: Tichoc. Much simplier

 

[RedRalph]

You could use a simple "i" as it's done in the most civilized language in the world (French of course)

See: Tichoc. Much simplier

Well if you rename your cities Marsay, Leon, Niece and Nant, we'll think about it

 

[Arwon]

Or, to reflect my pronunciation, Mahsay!

 

[warpus]

Or Marsej, Lijon, and Niys