Party system facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

A party system is how political parties work together in a democratic country. Think of it as the rules and patterns that different political groups follow when they try to win elections and run the government. These parties usually have similar goals: they want to lead the country, have support from many people, and have ways to get money and choose their leaders.

The idea of party systems was first thought up by people studying countries like the United States. It helps us understand how many parties there are, how much power they have, and how easy or hard it is for new parties to join the competition.

What Are the Different Kinds of Party Systems?
Party Systems Around the World
See also

What Are the Different Kinds of Party Systems?

We can classify party systems mainly by how many important parties there are. It's a bit tricky to count, because some parties might be very small and not really affect who runs the government. For example, in the 2005 United Kingdom general election, many groups ran, but only a few really mattered.

Here are the main types of party systems:

One-party system: In this system, only one political party is allowed to form the government. This is often written into the country's rules, or that one party simply has all the power.

* Example: China

Dominant-party system: Here, many parties might exist, but one party consistently wins elections and stays in power for a very long time. It's hard to imagine them losing.

* Example: Russia

Two-party system: In this system, two main parties have the best chance of winning enough votes to form a government. Other parties are usually much smaller or only strong in certain areas.

* Example: United States, United Kingdom

Two-and-a-half party system: This is like a two-party system, but the two main parties often need to team up with a smaller "half" party to get enough power to govern.

* Example: Federal Republic of Germany (after World War II until the late 1990s)

Multi-party system: In this system, many different political parties can win enough votes to be part of the government, either on their own or by forming teams (called coalitions).

* Example: Sweden, Ireland

Non-partisan system: This is a type of government where elections happen regularly, but there are no political parties involved. People run as individuals.

* Example: Micronesia

Some experts also talk about how "fragmented" a system is. This means how many parties there are and how much power each one has. A system with many small parties is more fragmented than one with just a few big ones.

Party Systems Around the World

Europe

In most European countries, the number of important political parties has grown over time. This means there are more parties, and each one tends to be a bit smaller.

European Union

The European Parliament has many political parties. To make things work more smoothly, these parties often group together into larger political teams. Since 1979, two main ways of organizing parties have been seen:

1979–1994: Parties were mostly split into two big groups: a left-leaning group (like Socialists and Greens) and a right-leaning group (like Christian Democrats and Liberals).
1994-onwards: Three central parties (Christian Democrats, Socialists, and Liberals) often work together to lead. They face opposition from other parties on the far left and far right.

Italy

Italy's party system is usually looked at from when the Italian Republic was formed in 1946.

First Republic (1948–1994): One party, the Christian Democracy (DC), was very strong. Another large party, the Italian Communist Party (PCI), was usually kept out of government. Governments changed often, but the same main parties and people usually stayed in power. This system changed a lot after big bribery scandals in the early 1990s.
Second Republic (since 1994): This period saw new rules for elections, which encouraged two main groups of parties to form. New parties also appeared, and old ones split. Even though there were more parties, the system often worked like a two-sided competition.

Germany

The 2009 election in Germany showed a new, stable system with five main parties. The two traditional big parties lost some support, while three smaller parties gained a lot. People often switch votes between parties that are similar in their political ideas.

The 2009 election was a big loss for the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). In the 2013 election, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), which had been in parliament since 1949, failed to get enough votes to enter. A new party, "Alternative for Germany" (AfD), almost made it into parliament in its first try.

After the 2013 election, the two biggest parties (CDU and SPD) formed a "grand coalition" government. Before this, Germany usually had governments made of one big party and one small party.

Central and Eastern Europe

After communist rule ended in Central and Eastern Europe, party systems changed a lot:

System I (late 1980s – early 1990s): Parties were divided between those who supported the old communist system and those who opposed it.
System II (early 1990s): The focus shifted to who benefited and who lost from the new market economy. Many small parties formed.
System III (late 1990s): Social conflicts grew, and social-democratic parties (often former communists) gained power.
System IV (2000s): A more stable party system developed, organized around left and right political ideas, including former communist parties.

Finland

Before 1918, Finland was controlled by Russia. People who wanted to use the Finnish language more formed the first political party in 1860. In response, Swedish-speaking groups formed their own party, creating Finland's first party system.

Greece

After a military dictatorship ended in 1974, two main parties, New Democracy (centre-right) and PASOK (centre-left), became very strong in Greece. They often won 80% or more of the votes.

However, after the economic crisis in 2008, a new left-wing party called Syriza grew in popularity. It challenged the two dominant parties and eventually won power in 2015.

Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Assembly is organized by political groups, similar to how parties work together.

Canada

Federal Party Systems

Experts say Canada has had four main party systems at the federal level since it became a country. Each system had its own ways of getting support, choosing leaders, and winning elections. The Liberal Party has been very dominant throughout these systems, using different strategies over time.

First Party System (late 1800s - 1917): This system was about local support and favors given by the two biggest parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives.
Second Party System (after WWI - 1957): This period saw more focus on different regions of Canada and the rise of new protest parties.
Third Party System (1963 - 1983): During this time, a strong third party, the New Democratic Party, challenged the two main parties. Elections became more national, and party leaders became more important.
Fourth Party System (since 1993): The 1993 election was a big change. The traditional Progressive Conservatives and NDP lost power, and new regional parties emerged. This led to a true multiparty system in Canada.

Provincial Party Systems

Party systems are different in each Canadian province because provinces have different priorities and values. Some provinces have more intense competition between parties, while others are dominated by one party.

Experts describe two main types of provincial party systems:

Centripetal party systems: These are common in Central and Atlantic Canada. One main party often stays in power for a long time, like the Liberal Party in some areas.
Centrifugal party systems: These are found in Western Canada. Many different parties with very different ideas compete strongly.

Based on elections from 1960 to 1995, provinces were grouped into four types:

One-party dominant: Alberta
Traditional two-party: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland
Three-party: Ontario, Manitoba
Polarized: British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec, New Brunswick

Today, provincial and federal party systems are often different. Provincial systems are usually simpler and reflect the unique issues of each province, like language or local groups.

Territorial Party Systems

Nunavut and the Northwest Territories do not have political parties. Instead, they use a "consensus government" system. All candidates run as independent individuals, and after the election, the elected members decide who will be in charge. Some people think this makes it easier for voters to choose a person, while others think it makes it harder to know what candidates stand for.

United States

The idea of a party system in the U.S. was first introduced by a scholar named James Bryce in 1888.

Experts generally agree that the U.S. has had at least six different party systems throughout its history:

First Party System (1796–1816): This system grew out of disagreements in George Washington's government. It featured the Federalists (who wanted a strong national government and economy) and the Democratic-Republicans (who wanted a limited government and more power for states and farmers). The Democratic-Republicans became very strong after 1800.
Second Party System (1840–1856): This system developed because the Democratic-Republicans couldn't handle big issues like slavery. The Whig Party emerged, and the Democratic Party evolved from the Democratic-Republicans. Richer people often supported the Whigs, while poorer people supported the Democrats. The Whig party eventually split over slavery.
Third Party System (1860–1896): Starting around the time of the American Civil War, this system was marked by strong disagreements and clear party differences, often based on geography. The South was mostly Democratic (opposing the end of slavery), and the North was mostly Republican (supporting the end of slavery). This was a time of huge industrial growth.
Fourth Party System (1896–1932): This era focused on social reforms (Progressivism) and immigration. Businesses in the Northeast often supported Republicans, while the South and West supported Democrats. Both parties tried to win over immigrant groups.
Fifth Party System (1932–early-mid 1970s): This system began with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" programs during the Great Depression. It brought together many different groups, including workers, minorities, and religious groups, who supported the Democrats because of the new social welfare programs. African-Americans, who had often supported Republicans before, also joined the Democrats.
Sixth Party System (since early-mid 1970s): The shift to this system seems to have started with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Democrats then lost their strong support in the South, and the Republican Party became dominant in many Southern states.

Argentina

Experts on Argentina identify two different party systems. The first was from 1912 to 1940. The second emerged after 1946 and was more clearly divided by social class, with the Radical Party representing middle classes and the Peronists representing workers and the poor.