Re: OT: For information only !

John Cowan wrote:

>Nik Taylor scripsit:
>
>
>
>>I think the difference is largely historic.  Parliaments were created by
>>already-established governments, generally monarchies, whereas
>>congresses were created by states coming together, either permanently,
>>as in the case of the US Congress, or temporarily, as in teh Congress of
>>Vienna.
>>
>>
>
>I take the difference to be in whether there is a separate executive
>branch.  Parliamentary systems choose the executive; congressional
>systems don't.  ("Executive" here excludes any purely figurehead
>head-of-state.)
>
>
But as I've said already, France doesn't obey this rule.  The US is the
only state that (to my knowledge) claims to have a 'Congress' rather
than a Parliament.  I think Nik's right in that the difference is purely
historical.  I'd assume that the US Congress was named after the
Continental Congresses  - Which evolved from a coming together of heads
of states, to an appointed leigslative body, again representing the
states(Under the Articles of Confederation), to a democratic legislative
body(under the US constitution).  But, it's still a Parliament.

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