parties and party systems

two party system

• two major parties dominate the political system each has a chance of gaining power

• usually one of these parties can secure a majority to govern alone

• usually one party is victorious with the other one forming opposition

• government power regularly alternates between the two parties but not necessarily between each election

• other parties may exist but they have low representation in parliament

the Westminster system in the UK for example has been characterised for much if the 20th century as having a two party system

multi-party system

• more than two parties competing for power with a realistic chance of gaining power

• the outcome of an election is most likely to be a coalition

• parties electoral strength tends to fluctuate and new parties can gain power more easily

• the distinction between major and minor parties is harder to identify

• office - holding can and does change at election time but can also fold in between elections and new coalitions are set up

many countries in Europe have multi party systems - Italy for example. in the UK, we would to the devolved assemblies to see evidence of multi party systems at work

one party dominant system

• a one party dominant system is where the party in power has been for a long time, winning successive elections and where it is unlikely that that they will be defeated in the near future

• it could be argued that the UK has had spells of one party dominance, such as in the 50s 80s 90s and the 2000s eventually the pendulum swings back to the other party

the two and a half party system

• two major parties take turns to form a government plus a third party, which is electorally much smaller but bigger than than other minor parties.

• the UK could be described as having this system with the lib dems being the third party since the 1970s after loses in 2015 and 2017 however third party status was conferred on the SNP

Westminster government and devolved assemblies

• aside from the 2010 - 2015 coalition there is a two party dominance in Westminster where a FPTP system applies in wales and northern Ireland however a PR system applied which provides wider representation to parties this in turn affects the types of governments formed coalitions are routine in the devolved assemblies whereas the 2010 - 2015 coalition government was the one in peacetime history since ww2