Government Questions and Answers

An ombudsman, ombudsperson, ombud, or public advocate is an official who is charged with representing the interests of the public by investigating and addressing complaints of maladministration or a violation of rights. The ombudsman is usually appointed by the government or by parliament, but with a significant degree of independence.

It is vitally important in a democracy that individual judges and the judiciary as a whole are impartial and independent of all external pressures and of each other so that those who appear before them and the wider public can have confidence that their cases will be decided fairly and in accordance with the law.

Supremacy of the Constitution: The Constitution is binding on the Federal and the State Governments. The Central Government as well as the State Governments derives their powers from the Constitution. Also, neither of the two Governments should be in a position to override the provisions of the Constitution related to the powers and status enjoyed by the other.

A centralized government is one in which power or legal authority is exerted or coordinated by a de facto political executive to which federal states, local authorities, and smaller units are considered subject. There is centralization of power in a federal system of government through the federal government to the state governemnt down to the local government.

In presidential system of government, the executive is elected and is not responsible to the legislature, which cannot in normal circumstances dismiss it. Such dismissal is possible, however, in uncommon cases, often through impeachment. The president is responsible to the electorates  who elected him into office. Unlike the paliamentary system where the head of state is accountable to the parliament who elected him/her into office.