One-party and Multiparty Systems

One-Party and Multiparty Systems : One-Party and Multiparty Systems

One-Party Systems : One-Party Systems Country has only one political party – the party is the government. Usually seen in authoritarian governments. (China) Why would such a system not be acceptable to Americans?

Multi-Party Systems : Multi-Party Systems Seen in most democracies other than the U.S. Often associated with parliamentary systems. Usually has 2-3 major parties with numerous minor parties. Minor parties often have meaningful power: - Parliamentary systems require a party to hold a majority in the legislature so that they may select the chief executive.

Multi-Party Systems : Multi-Party Systems - Often no one party has a majority – a major party must form a coalition with one or more of the minor parties to gain a majority. - This requires the majority party to agree to push the agenda of the minor party(ies) so as to gain their support, thus giving the minor party(ies) power.

Multi-Party Systems : Multi-Party Systems - These countries often use a proportional representation system – the number of representatives from an area is proportional to the area’s population. More represent- atives from an area provides greater opportunities for minor parties to get candidates elected. - Most minor parties are special interest parties – they promote a particular issue.