Multi-party Politics and the Constitution

An evaluation of the reasons for multi-party growth and its constitutional consequences.

Vernon Bogdanor (Author)

9780521275262, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 12 May 1983

220 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.34 kg

This book was first published in 1983. Since 1945, British politics has been dominated by a two-party system. Yet this has been challenged with the electoral performance of the two major parties declining since years ago when, between them, they secured over ninety-five per cent of the popular vote. The purpose of Multi-part Politics and the Constitution is twofold: first to examine the reasons for the growth of multi-party politics in Britain, secondly to consider its constitutional consequences. In the first part of the book, Vernon Bogdanor considers the challenges to the two-party system and analyses the role of the Liberal-SDP Alliance as part of that challenge. The second part evaluates the consequences for British politics of hung parliaments where no one party can claim an overall majority. Such situations are likely to occur with increasing frequency if multi-party politics persists. The role of the monarch and the working of coalition and minority governments are discussed and the argument is illustrated by examples from British history and from continental, especially Scandinavian, experience.

List of tables
Acknowledgements
Notes on sources
Introduction
Part I. Multi-party Politics: 1. The two-party system and its challengers
2. The Social Democratic Party and the Alliance
3. Multi-party politics and the electorate
4. Multi-party politics and the future
Part II. The Constitutional Consequences: 5. Forming a government: the lessons of history
6. Forming a government: the rules of the game
7. Minority government
8. Coalition government
Conclusion
Appendix: Coalition and minority governments in Britain since 1895
Bibliographical note
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP]