Core axes
- Sovereignty: parliamentary (UK) vs constitutional (India, US).
- Executive: parliamentary (India, UK) vs presidential (US) vs semi-presidential (France).
- Rights: entrenched (India, US) vs statutory (UK — HRA 1998).
- Amendment: rigid (US Art. V), flexible (UK — ordinary law), hybrid (India Art. 368).
Judicial review
- US: Marbury v Madison (1803) — strong review.
- India: Kesavananda Bharati (1973) — basic structure doctrine.
- UK: declaration of incompatibility under HRA — no strike-down.
Federal design
- US: dual federalism, enumerated Union powers, residuary with States.
- India: quasi-federal, Union has residuary, three lists.
- Canada: strong centre; Germany: cooperative Bundesrat model.
India's borrowings
- UK — parliamentary system, rule of law, single citizenship.
- US — FRs, judicial review, impeachment.
- Ireland — DPSPs; Canada — federal scheme; South Africa — amendment ideas.
Common Pitfalls
- Do not memorise borrowings as trivia; use them only when comparison is asked.
- Avoid claiming Indian Constitution is 'best' — write analytically.
FAQs
- Table or paragraph?
- A 3-column table with a one-line takeaway per row wins on Mains presentation.
UPSC Mains PYQs on this microtheme
- Compare and contrast the President’s power to pardon in India and in the USA. Are there any limits to it in both the countries? What are ‘preemptive pardons’?📅 2025 · 📌 10
- Discuss the evolution of collegium system in India. Critically examine the advantag- es and disadvantages of the system on appointment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India and that of the USA.📅 2025 · 📌 15
- Discuss India as a secular state and compare with the secular principles of the US constitution📅 2024 · 📌 15
- Compare and contrast the British and Indian approaches to Parliamentary sover- eignty.📅 2023 · 📌 10
- Critically examine the procedures through which the Presidents of India and France are elected.📅 2022 · 📌 15
- Analyze the distinguishing features of the notion of Right to Equality in the Constitu- tions of the USA and India.📅 2021 · 📌 15
- The judicial systems in India and UK seem to be converging as well as diverging in recent times. Highlight the key points of convergence and divergence between the two nations in terms of their judicial practices.📅 2020 · 📌 10
- What can France learn from the Indian Constitution’s approach to secularism?📅 2019 · 📌 10
- India and USA are two large democracies. Examine the basic tenants on which the two political systems are based.📅 2018 · 📌 15