What are the arguments made in favor of a minority government over majority government and vice versa?

Question

What are the arguments made in favor of a minority government over majority government and vice versa? I've heard majority is better because they typically last longer, but I don't see why this is necessarily a good thing (actually it would seem a bad thing as they can get away longer with doing something). Also I've heard minority governments have to work together more, to pass bills and such, but again I don't necessarily see how this is a good thing?

Answer 1

Hi! Political scientists usually compare and contrast the two in relation to democratic input, effective governance, and government stability.

Majority governments are able to more effectively pass legislation. Because one party is in control of a given parliament, they rely on less input from members of opposition parties. The benefits of majority control include expediency, stability, and efficiency. Majority governments pass bills and budgets in a timely manner, allowing legislatures to address urgent problems with less negotiations with opposition parties. These parties are also able to deliver more of the promises to voters during elections. Stability, as you mentioned, is also a benefit of these governments. When one party controls a legislature, there are no coalitions central to the government's stability. For example, a coalition formed between three minority parties (a minority government) must rely on negotiating to pass legislation. If issues arise between this coalition, then the government is at risk of being unable to pass legislation and risks dissolution.

Minority governments have several advantages that majority governments do not, including increased democratic representation and moderation. Because two or more parties must work together to draft and pass legislation, there are more democratic interests being represented in the government. No single interest group dominates the legislative process, meaning these types of governments must moderate their policies to ensure a broader appeal.

In parliamentary systems, there is unlikely to be one majority government that "gets away with" poor governance. In EU-style parliaments, a dissolution is triggered by the government leader, like a Prime Minister. This "triggers" new elections to reconfigure the makeup of parliament. In other types of parliamentary systems, this process functions more or less the same, with the exception that some of these systems immediately dissolve the government before holding elections. I hope this answer helps!