Question 3: Distinguish between the legislative and executive arms of government.

Do you

think the two arms of government overlap? Justify your answer.

A unicameral legislature has only one chamber, or body, that makes decisions while

a bicameral legislature has two chambers, often with different procedures and powers, that

ultimately must work together to make policy and exercise other legislative powers and

responsibilities (Bugaje, 2003). One of the main advantages of unicameral legislatures is that

they promote a simpler and efficient legislative process, bills only need to go through a single

legislature usually parliament for approval. In more homogenous societies such as St Kitts and

Nevis, where shared cultural norms and values prevail, the need for multiple legislative

chambers seems less important. In such societies, political parties perform the role of

representing diverse interests and ensuring efficient decision-making. However, the lack of a

separate chamber means fewer checks and balances on executive power, hence a head of state

with an overwhelming majority can pass bills without significant internal constraints. This

highlights the delicate balance between efficiency and scrutiny that should be maintained during

the legislative process.

Whilst in a bicameral system, both chambers usually an upper and low house must debate and

approve bills before they become laws. The relationship between the two Chambers varies; in

some cases, they have equal power, while in others, one Chamber is clearly superior in its

powers. It is also commonplace in most federal systems to have a bicameral legislature, with the

upper chamber representing the constituent states, while the lower chamber represents the people

as it is in the United States. In both countries, the upper house represents the component parts,

and the lower house represents districts based on population (Roskin, Cord, Medeiros and Jones,

2008).
The purpose and practice of bicameral legislature anywhere in the world stems from the need to

promote stable governments, increase and strengthen the level of political participation,

representation and involvement. This is also capable of facilitating sense of belonging and

mutual trust potent enough to propel spirit of nationalism and patriotism; as this is the hallmark

of democracy (Arowolo and Aluko, 2012). It then indicates that democracy is the avenue through

which the purpose and practice of bicameral legislature can be actualized and sustained.

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Having multiple chambers creates a natural “veto point”; if one chamber endorse a bill while the

other opposes it, this reflects differing perspectives and concerns. Bicameral systems aim to

balance representation by requiring that both chambers, often representing different interests and

perspectives deliberate on proposed legislation. This process guarntees a more comprehensive

understanding of the bill’s implications and while deliberations maybe lengthy and the decision

making slow, it prevents the head of state from making rash decisions. Sometimes both houses

can disagree on a bill hence, a deadlock appears. This happens when different parties hold the

majority in each chamber, especially when the two parties in charge have significant policy and

ideological disagreements, party differences and constitutional clashes. To break deadlocks,

mechanisms like joint committees, conference committees, or compromise negotiations are often

used.

The arms or branches of government are the Legislative, Executive and the Judicial. However,

this essay focuses on the legislative and executive branches. The primary function of the

legislative branch is to make laws. In Federal system this branch consists of two chambers such

as the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States. Members of propose,

debate, and vote on bills that can become laws.

depends on the beneficial or detrimental connection between these institutions. Presidential and

parliamentary systems differ in democratic systems in how independent the legislative and

executive branches are and how much power each has to oversee the other. (Openstax, n.d.)

Munroe (2002, p.105) describes the executive arm, where he writes:

“The executive in the typical Caribbean state is the principal instrument of policy for the country

and is also responsible for the coordination of the entire government. This executive, like the

British executive, is made up of the prime minister and a cabinet, chosen from the legislature.

They must be members of the legislature and they are responsible to the legislature…”

If members of the executive are a subset of the legislature, then evidently, there will be overlap,

instead of a separation of powers, we see a joining of powers. In some instances, conflict can

arise between both branches. According to Rockman (1983) as cited by Momodu & Matudi

(2013), views pride and personality clash, executive supremacy, ignorance of the constitution,

functional overlapping, and legislative oversight as causes of executive-legislative conflict. For

example in countries like St Kitts and Britain there is a fusion of powers. The Prime Minister

who is the head of parliament is normally the head of the executive.

Also in federal like the United States while the legislative and the executive bodies are separate

there is some overlap. For instance, the president can propose legislation, although the president

lacks the power to directly enact laws, their proposals shape the legislative agenda and Congress

can influence executive actions through oversight and funding. Additionally, during state of the

union address or budget proposal, the president will communicate his legislative agenda.
In summary, the degree of overlap varies across different systems, but both branches play

essential roles in governance.

https://openstax.org/books/introduction-political-science/pages/9-3-what-is-the-difference-

between-unicameral-and-bicameral-systems

https://www.history.com/topics/us-government-and-politics/three-branches-of-government