Presidential election process can and do vary somewhat; for example,the U.S. president is elected indirectly by the Electoral College, but that institution is bound to follow the ppopular closely. Some countries elect a president by plurality; others use a two-round system to achieve an absolute majority. No matter how the elections are administered, the important thing is that the president's legitimacy as head of state and government derives form an electoral process that legitimizes him or her as the nation's choice. Similarly, the legislature 's legitimacy arises from the direct elections of the representatives,who should therefore reflect the popular will. Even if the presidency and legislature are controlled by different parties,each is legitimized independently by the electoral process, and creating laws requires the agreement,in some way, of both the president and a majority in the legislature.