Two-and-a-Half-Party Systems and the Comparative Role of the ‘Half’  

Oleh:

Siaroff, Alan

Jenis: Article from Journal - ilmiah internasional
Dalam koleksi: Party Politics vol. 9 no. 3 (May 2003), page 267–290.
Topik: ‘half’ party
hinge party
two-and-a-half-party system
wing party
Fulltext: 267PP93.pdf (118.61KB)

Isi artikel

In this article, the concept of the ‘two-and-a-half-party system’ is reexamined, with particular focus on the role of the ‘half’. The analysis is on longer-term parliamentary democracies since 1945 or democratization. First, various ways of measuring a party system are outlined, and a new alternative is proposed. Based on this, 10 countries are seen to qualify (at least for certain time periods) as two-and-a-half-party systems: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. Each of these systems is outlined and analysed. This category is then contrasted with both twoparty systems and multiparty systems in order to explain its causes. Next, some general conclusions about when ‘half’ parties are likely to matter more (in a governmental sense) are made, with a particular distinction occurring between ‘hinge’ and ‘wing’ half parties. Finally, the geographic shift in the presence of two-and-a-half-party systems is noted.

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