Many nations around the world use parliamentary systems of government. Each has its own unique form and institutions.
In the parliamentary system, citizens elect members of parliament to represent their electoral districts or regions. Voters usually choose a political party which represents their views and interests. The party that receives a majority of the vote selects a leader, often called the Prime Minister, who oversees the cabinet and leads the legislature. Some parliamentary systems have a ceremonial head of state, such as a hereditary monarch in Great Britain and Spain or a democratic constitutional monarchy in Japan, Norway and Denmark. Other countries have a president or chancellor who exercises some executive functions but is not part of the legislative branch.
Assemblies adopt rules of parliamentary procedure for their debate and conduct of business. These rules allow for the free and full discussion of issues with due respect for the rights of minorities. They also guide the process by which group decisions are reached, typically by vote.
In most parliamentary systems the members of parliament are elected through first-past-the-post voting. In a few, notably Canada and Australia, the members are elected on a list basis with one vote for each constituency and a second vote to allocate seats based on party preference. The candidates who do not reach a quota of votes on the first ballot are eliminated and their surplus votes are transferred to the second preferences (and third, fourth and so on). The second ballot is then conducted and the candidate with the most votes is elected.