Majority government facts for kids

A majority government is when the political party or group of parties in charge has more than half of all the seats in the country's parliament (also called a legislature). This gives them a strong position to pass new laws and make decisions.

Sometimes, one party wins enough seats on its own to form a majority government. Other times, two or more parties join together to form a coalition government to reach that majority. This is different from a minority government, where the ruling party or parties don't have enough seats and need help from other parties to get things done. Having a majority makes it much easier for the government to lead the country.

How a Majority Government Works

When a government has a majority, it's usually quite stable. They can pass their planned laws and policies without constantly worrying about being stopped by other parties. This strong position is sometimes called a working majority.

Think of it like a sports team that has more players on the field than the other team. They have a clear advantage. In politics, this means the government can usually get its agenda through parliament. Minority governments, on the other hand, have to negotiate and compromise a lot more to get their laws approved.

Majority Governments Around the World

In some countries, it's common for one party to win enough seats to form a majority government on its own. This often happens after a party has a very successful election.

Australia's Coalition Example

In Australia, for instance, the Liberal and National parties often work together as a team called "the Coalition". They have done this for many decades. By combining their strengths, they often win enough seats together to form a majority government.

The Coalition has won a large majority in the Australian House of Representatives three times: in 1975, 1996, and 2013. The biggest majority government in Australia's history was elected in 1975, when the Coalition won over 70% of the seats!

United Kingdom's Coalition Example

In countries that use a voting system called "first past the post", one party often wins a majority on its own. However, sometimes an election results in a "hung parliament", meaning no single party has a majority. In these cases, parties might form a coalition.

A good example of this was the 2010–2015 coalition government in the United Kingdom. After the 2010 election, the Conservative Party won the most seats but didn't have a majority on its own. So, they teamed up with the Liberal Democrats. Together, they had a solid majority in the House of Commons. This was the first true coalition government in the UK since World War II.

Majority vs. Other Government Types

A majority government is different from a "consensus government" or "national unity government". These other types of governments usually need almost everyone to agree, or a very large number of votes (a "supermajority"), to make decisions. A majority government just needs more than half the votes.

See also

• Coalition government
• Hung parliament
• Minority government