A parliamentary vote is the decision by which a parliament (or other legislative body) decides on an issue. Parliamentary systems are mainly found in countries that follow the Westminster political tradition, such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Most of these use a plurality system where one candidate is elected to a constituency, while others have some form of proportional representation.
Advocates of a parliamentary government say that it is more efficient than its presidential counterpart because the executive branch is not burdened with checks and balances between different power-sharing departments. They also claim that it allows minorities and opposition parties to be represented in the cabinet and, thus, minimizes social tensions that can arise from an isolated majority. In his 1867 book The English Constitution, Walter Bagehot praised parliamentary government for producing serious debates and allowing the people to react immediately to any unpopular policies of the government, rather than waiting until the end of a four-year term.
In most parliamentary democracies laws are made by a majority vote of the legislature and signed by the head of state — either the hereditary king or queen in a constitutional monarchy or the prime minister or chancellor in a democracy. In some parliamentary democracies, like the United Kingdom and New Zealand, the head of state has a limited veto right on legislation passed by the parliament, but this is usually overridden by a simple majority vote of the legislature.