This book elaborates a theory of 'semi-parliamentary government', an often neglected form of government that instantiates the principle of the separation of powers, by demonstrating how it reconciles important benefits of both presidential and parliamentary systems. [U]nlike Linz and subsequent scholars who view the choice between presidentialism and parliamentarism as a stark one involving unavoidable tradeoffs between the direct democratic accountability made available through presidentialism - with its attendant risks of authoritarianism - and a more proportional representation of voters in parliamentarism - with its risks of indecisive elections - Ganghof charts a new path.