The politics of the Republic of Peru takes place in a framework of a unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Peru is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the President and the Government. Legislative power is vested in both the Government and the Congress. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Support for traditional political parties have thoroughly collapsed in since 2000 paving the way for the rise of personalist leaderships. The political parties in the congress of Peru are according to political scientist Lucia Dammert "agglomerations of individual and group interests more than solid and representative parties".