So the UK is probably the simplest to discuss because it doesn’t have a constitution, and this means parliament is sovereign and decides everything by a simple majority vote.
They can pass laws saying that certain things need a super majority, but then they can just turn round and unpass them as well
This means that what you think of as the executive, i.e. the prime minister and all his helpers, can be changed by a simple majority, and an election can be called by one. They don’t need to happen at the same time. The last parliament had three different prime ministers without an election, and it’s common to switch prime ministers well before an election in order to create an incumbent advantage.
I’m looked up UK’s parliamentary party composition. There’s three major parties. And, if one adds up all the minor party seats they hold like 7%.
What isn’t this system suffering two-party dichotomy as seen in the US? In this I can quickly understand how deep cultural roots may be a significant factor. But, are there also systemic checks and balances that keep third parties alive? Is it as simple a core difference as ballot access?
It does. The UK sucks too because it doesn’t have proportional representation. But that’s a whole separate problem.
What basically makes it suck a little less than the US is each seat only receives tens of thousands of votes, so it’s possible for local interests to do well in particular seats and get a little bit more diversity.
We are a two party system. It’s just one of them has suffered such a catastrophic loss in vote share that it looks like there’s three main parties.
It’s extremely regional. In most of England it’s Labour vs Tories. In some southern areas it’s Lib Dem vs Tories. In Scotland mostly the SNP vie with Labour for control. Northern Ireland is DUP (Tory aligned, but we only remembered they existed when they had to prop the Tories up) vs Sinn Fein. Wales is mostly Labour vs Tory with Plaid Cymru thrown in.
The minor parties are competitive in a handful of locations, so only Labour and Tories can actually win control.
So the UK is probably the simplest to discuss because it doesn’t have a constitution, and this means parliament is sovereign and decides everything by a simple majority vote.
They can pass laws saying that certain things need a super majority, but then they can just turn round and unpass them as well
This means that what you think of as the executive, i.e. the prime minister and all his helpers, can be changed by a simple majority, and an election can be called by one. They don’t need to happen at the same time. The last parliament had three different prime ministers without an election, and it’s common to switch prime ministers well before an election in order to create an incumbent advantage.
This makes sense also. Thank you for teaching.
I’m looked up UK’s parliamentary party composition. There’s three major parties. And, if one adds up all the minor party seats they hold like 7%.
What isn’t this system suffering two-party dichotomy as seen in the US? In this I can quickly understand how deep cultural roots may be a significant factor. But, are there also systemic checks and balances that keep third parties alive? Is it as simple a core difference as ballot access?
It does. The UK sucks too because it doesn’t have proportional representation. But that’s a whole separate problem.
What basically makes it suck a little less than the US is each seat only receives tens of thousands of votes, so it’s possible for local interests to do well in particular seats and get a little bit more diversity.
It does suffer from it.
We are a two party system. It’s just one of them has suffered such a catastrophic loss in vote share that it looks like there’s three main parties.
It’s extremely regional. In most of England it’s Labour vs Tories. In some southern areas it’s Lib Dem vs Tories. In Scotland mostly the SNP vie with Labour for control. Northern Ireland is DUP (Tory aligned, but we only remembered they existed when they had to prop the Tories up) vs Sinn Fein. Wales is mostly Labour vs Tory with Plaid Cymru thrown in.
The minor parties are competitive in a handful of locations, so only Labour and Tories can actually win control.