(NB: All of this is my understanding, and could be completely in my head.  Grains of salt recommended)<p>An american-style democracy (also: presidential democracy) involves the following:<p>* Separate executive and legislative branches<p>* A checks-and-balances system<p>I believe Chile had such a system, but collapsed because they didn&#x27;t have an amendment system.  Whenever the US helps set up a democracy (which we&#x27;ve done in both heavy-handed [Japan, Germany] and more advisory means [assorted African countries, etc]), we DON&#x27;T suggest our system, but instead a parliamentary one.<p>The number one issue (IMNSHO) with our system is that both the president and the legislature have equal validity, so if they have a dispute, how do we decide who legitimately represents the interests of the electorate?  An example of that sort of roadblock caused The Dismissal in Australia, but we have it much worse.<p>As I understand the various parliamentary systems, in general, the legislature is voted in, forms a majority by agreement, appoints a Prime Minister, and seats the various Secretaries (or whatever titles).  Laws are written (by and large) by the bureaucracies, not the legislators.  Should the Prime Minister lose the ability to get results passed, a new election is called for.  [Anyone that can correct me here, please do - it&#x27;s been very hard to find what happens inside the &quot;majority forms a government&quot; phase]<p>Compared to American-style democracy, a parliamentary system has fewer roadblocks, and more empowerment to the govt agencies to suggest their own rules (subject to the requests made by legislators.