In South Africa anyway, Parliament is the "Legislative Leg" of government i.e. Parliament makes and amends laws - Cabinet on the other hand is the "Executive Leg" of government i.e. Cabinet is responsible for the day to day running of the country. For interests sake: The third leg is the "judiciary" - the courts and judges. The three legs are are split so that all the power is not vested in one body i.e. So that the person that makes the law, the person that carries it out and the person that decides whether the law has been broken is not the same person - this fosters accountability. For more on the US division of government see: bensguide.gpo.gov
