The Presidential system is a type of political system in which the executive is separate from the legislature. A concept that seems to have originated with the Founding Fathers when they wrote the Constitution, it is the alternative to the Parliamentary system, in which the executive is a member of and chosen by the legislature. The Presidential system is the natural result of the separation of powers philosophy, and essential to creating a system of checks and balances so that no one branch of government dominates. The primary downside is the high rate of gridlock, when nothing gets done because of the executive and the legislature are controlled by opposing parties (or sometimes even the same party: see Jimmy Carter). The overall merit of one system over the other is the subject of much debate.