Friday, April 17, 2009

What is the difference between a minority government and a coalition government?

Correct me if I'm wrong. I minority government is a single party that does not have most of the votes of the nation. I coalition government is two or more parties joining together to form a majority.


Why ask a question and then answer it yourself?

You've pretty well answered your own question. You need to recognize, however, that every minority government has to seek coalitions with other political parties if it wants to have its legislation implemented. In a parliamentary system of government, a minority party that proposes legislation that doesn't get the support of the majority of parliament risks having the vote on the legislation treated as a vote of no confidence. In other words, if the proposed legislation does not get the support of a majority of parliament, the government may be dissolved and an election called. A wise minority government always tries to find members of parliament from other parties to support its proposed bills.

A coalition govt is one where all parties are "minority" parties, and decisions are made collectively.

The US is designed as a coalition system, but has effectively become a two-part duopoly because the two dominant parties have gerrymandered and manipulated the system to squeeze everyone else out.

In a coalition govt, everyone is required to cooperate to get anything done. In the US, whoever is in the majority can usually trample anyone in the minority -- which was not the constitutional intent of the founders.

A minority government is a single party who holds less than 50% of the seats in the house.

A coalition government is an alliance of two or more parties.

You answered your own question.Hmm

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