Responsible government is a system of government in which the executive is responsible for its actions to a legislative body elected by the people. In countries with responsible government, the main directors of the executive branch are usually a prime minister and cabinet. The legislature in such a system is commonly called a parliament. Depending upon a country’s constitution, the people elect either all or some of the members of the legislature. Under a system of responsible government, therefore, the executive is not directly responsible to the people, but rather to the people’s representatives. The principle of responsible government is common among nations with parliamentary democracies. However, use of the term is most common in countries that were once British colonies, such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
In a system of responsible government, the executive retains the authority to govern as long as it has the confidence (support) of a majority of the members of the parliament. In parliaments with more than one house, it is usually the lower house that participates in confidence votes. If the executive loses the confidence of the parliament, the prime minister and cabinet usually must resign. The executive also must answer to the parliament in regular debates. One method of debate is known as question time or question period. Members of parliament submit questions to the executive orally or in written form. Any member of parliament may submit a question and expect an answer. Parliamentary committees also oversee the actions of the executive.
