Party Systems Flashcards
What is a party system?
The way or manner in which political parties in the political system are grouped and structured. Examples include one party dominant, two party, two and a half party or multi party systems
Give three countries where a one party system is used
China, Cuba and North Korea
Outline the features of a one party system in China, Cuba and North Korea
The three main proponents describe themselves as communist states, where the communist party is the only legal party
Give a country that can be said to have a dominant party system
Scotland with the SNP
Outline the features of the dominant party system in Scotland
The SNP holds nearl all the Scottish UK parliamentary seats and has governed Scotland since 2007, holding substantially more seats than any other party within Scottish parliament
Give an example of a country that can be said to possess a two party system
The USA
Describe the two party system present in the USA
The Republicans and Democrats hold virtually all of the elected positions at all levels of government within the USA
Give an example of a country with a two and a half party system
Canada
Describe the two and a half party system in Canada
The Liberal and Conservative parties form the two dominant parties, with the new democratic party emerging as a serious third party
Give two examples of countries with a multi party system in place
Italy and Germany
Describe the multi-party system present in Italy
It has so many parties that it is remarkably unstable; with governments often collapsing
Describe the multi party system present in Germany
Germany has a four party system where the christian democrats and social democrats dominate, but have to form coalition with either the greens or the free democrats. The alternative for Germany party also has 94 seats
Describe a one party system
This is where only one party is allowed to operate. It is normally associated with highly authoritarian regimes that we would not consider to be democratic in the generally accepted understanding of the word
Describe a dominant-party system
These are democratic systems that allow parties to operate freely, but where only one party has a realistic chance of forming a government. Such systems are highly stable, but this comes at the expense of accountability and competition
Describe a two-party system
Only two parties have a realistic chance of forming a government. Implies that two parties win the vast majority of the votes at elections and most of the seats in the representative assemblies of state
Describe a two-and-a-half party sytem
These are systems where two main parties contest at elections but there is a sizable third party. Usually, these third parties are seen as holding the balance of power between the two main parties, much like the Lib Dems did in the UK in 2010. Countries like Canada and Australia appear to fit this model. While some see the UK as possessing this kind of system, it is extremely rare that the third party ever becomes a part of government. This means that it isn’t entirely accurate to view the UK in this way, despite the presence of the Lib Dems and now the SNP as sizable third parties
Describe a multi-party system
These are becoming increasingly common in Europe. There are several parties competing for votes and power. There is no set number to define a multi-party system, but the key is that more than two parties have a realistic chance of becoming part of the government and governments tend to be made up of coalitions. Although these systems can be alot more fragile than dominant or two party states, there is actually much less volatility as many of the same parties will find themselves in government regularly
