Parliamentary or Presidential System?

I have long thought that a parliamentary system was better than our presidential system.Today I watched  Season 6, episode 14 of the West Wing, "The Wake-up Call," in which Toby and Professor Lawrence Lessig meet with a delegation from Belarus to discuss a new constitution, and disagree on whether to base it on a parliamentary or presidential system.


Toby argues for a parliamentary system. "Half the faculty at Yale Law describes the American presidential system as one of this country's most dangerous exports, responsible for wreaking havoc on over 30 countries around the globe . It's a recipe for consitutional breakdown." (1:29-1:42)

Lessig argues in favor of the presidential system, saying, "The constitutional democracy succeeds only if the constitution reflects democratic values already alive in the citizenry." (3:43-3:50)

So what happens when those democratic values have faded? I think we are finding out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLoio0Z6jLw