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A dominant-party system, or one-party dominant system, is a political occurrence in which a single political party continuously dominates election results over running opposition groups or parties.[1] Any ruling party staying in power for more than one consecutive term may be considered a dominant party (also referred to as a predominant or hegemonic party).[2] Some dominant parties were called the natural governing party, given their length of time in power.[3][4][5]
Dominant parties, and their domination of a state, develop out of one-sided electoral and party constellations within a multi-party system (particularly under presidential systems of governance), and as such differ from states under a one-party system, which are intricately organized around a specific party. Sometimes the term "de facto one-party state" is used to describe dominant-party systems which, unlike a one-party system, allows (at least nominally) democratic multiparty elections, but the existing practices or balance of political power effectively prevent the opposition from winning power, thus resembling a one-party state. Dominant-party systems differ from the political dynamics of other dominant multi-party constellations such as consociationalism, grand coalitions and two-party systems, which are characterized and sustained by narrow or balanced
competition and cooperation.
In political literature, more than 130 dominant party systems between 1950 and 2017 were included in a list by A. A. Ostroverkhov.[6] For example, in the post-Soviet states, researchers classify parties such as United Russia and
Amanat (
Kazakhstan) as dominant parties on the basis that these parties have long held the majority of seats in parliament (although they do not directly form the government or appoint officials to government positions).[7] In Russian political science literature, such associations are often called "parties of power."
It is believed that a system with a dominant party can be either authoritarian or democratic. However, since there is no consensus in the global political science community on a set of mandatory features of democracy (for example, there is a point of view according to which the absence of alternation of power is, in principle, incompatible with democratic norms),[8] it is difficult to separate the two types of one-party dominance.[9]
Critics of the "dominant party" theory argue that it views the meaning of democracy as given, and that it assumes that only a particular conception of
representative democracy (in which different parties alternate frequently in power) is valid.[10]Raymond Suttner, himself a former leader of the
African National Congress (ANC), argues that "the dominant party 'system' is deeply flawed as a mode of analysis and lacks explanatory capacity. But it is also a very conservative approach to politics. Its fundamental political assumptions are restricted to one form of democracy, namely electoral politics, and display hostility towards popular politics. This is manifest in the obsession with the quality of electoral opposition, and its sidelining or ignoring of popular political activity organised in other ways. The assumption in this approach is that other forms of organisation and opposition are of limited importance or a separate matter from the consolidation of their version of democracy."[10]
One of the dangers of dominant parties is "the tendency of dominant parties to conflate party and state and to appoint party officials to senior positions irrespective of their having the required qualities."[10] However, in some countries this is common practice even when there is no dominant party.[10] In contrast to
one-party systems, dominant-party systems can occur within a context of a democratic system as well as an authoritarian one. In a one-party system other parties are banned, but in dominant-party systems other political parties are tolerated, and (in democratic dominant-party systems) operate without overt legal impediment, but do not have a realistic chance of winning; the dominant party genuinely wins the votes of the vast majority of voters every time (or, in authoritarian systems, claims to). Under authoritarian dominant-party systems, which may be referred to as "
electoralism" or "soft authoritarianism",
opposition parties are legally allowed to operate, but are too weak or ineffective to seriously challenge power, perhaps through various forms of corruption, constitutional quirks that intentionally undermine the ability for an effective opposition to thrive, institutional and/or organizational conventions that support the status quo, occasional but not omnipresent
political repression, or inherent cultural values averse to change.
In some states opposition parties are subject to varying degrees of official harassment and most often deal with restrictions on free speech (such as press laws), lawsuits against the opposition, and rules or electoral systems (such as
gerrymandering of electoral districts) designed to put them at a disadvantage. In some cases outright
electoral fraud keeps the opposition from power. On the other hand, some dominant-party systems occur, at least temporarily, in countries that are widely seen, both by their citizens and outside observers, to be textbook examples of democracy. An example of a genuine democratic dominant-party system would be the pre-
Emergency India, which was almost universally viewed by all as being a democratic state, even though the only major national party at that time was the
Indian National Congress. The reasons why a dominant-party system may form in such a country are often debated: supporters of the dominant party tend to argue that their party is simply doing a good job in government and the opposition continuously proposes unrealistic or unpopular changes, while supporters of the opposition tend to argue that the electoral system disfavors them (for example because it is based on the principle of
first past the post), or that the dominant party receives a disproportionate amount of funding from various sources and is therefore able to mount more persuasive campaigns. In states with ethnic issues, one party may be seen as being the party for an ethnicity or race with the party for the majority ethnic, racial or religious group dominating, e.g., the
African National Congress in
South Africa (governing since the end of
apartheid in 1994) has strong support amongst
Bantu peoples of South Africa and the
Ulster Unionist Party governed
Northern Ireland from its creation in 1921 until 1972 with the support of the
Protestant majority. Similarly, the Apartheid-era
National Party in South Africa had the support of
Afrikaners who make up the majority of
White South Africans while English-speaking white South Africans tended towards more liberal and reform-oriented parties like the
Progressive Federal Party.
Sub-national entities are often dominated by one party due to the area's demographic being on one end of the spectrum or espousing a unique local identity. For example, the current elected
government of the
District of Columbia has been governed by
Democrats since its creation in the 1970s,
Bavaria by the
Christian Social Union since 1957,
Madeira by the
Social Democrats since 1976, and
Alberta by the
Progressive Conservatives from 1971 to 2015. On the other hand, where the dominant party rules nationally on a genuinely democratic basis, the opposition may be strong in one or more subnational areas, possibly even constituting a dominant party locally; an example is South Africa, where although the African National Congress is dominant at the national level, the opposition
Democratic Alliance is strong to dominant in the
Province of Western Cape.
Methods of dominant-party governments
In dominant-party governments, they use institutional channels, rather than repression, to influence the population.[11] Coercive distribution can control citizens and economic elites through land reform, poverty alleviation, public health, housing, education, and employment programs.[12] Further, they distribute private goods to the winning coalition (people who are necessary for its reign) in order to stay in power.[13] Giving the winning coalition private goods also prevents civil conflict.[14] They also use the education system to teach and uphold compliance. The recruiting, disciplining, and training of teachers allow for authoritarian governments to control teachers into following their objective: to foster compliance from the youth.[15] Another way that they maintain control is through hosting elections. Even though they would not be fair elections, hosting them allows citizens to feel that they have some control and a political outlet.[16] They can also enhance rule within their own state through international collaboration, by supporting and gaining the support, especially economic support, of other similar governments.[17]
Presidential election, 1992: dos Santos (MPLA-PT) won 49.6% of the vote. As this was not an absolute majority, a runoff against Jonas Savimbi (40.1%) was required, but did not take place. Dos Santos remained in office without democratic legitimacy.
New constitution, 2010: popular election of president abolished in favour of a rule that the top candidate of the most voted party in parliamentary elections becomes president.
The
Liberal Party of Canada has nonetheless been dominant in federal politics of Canada since its founding. So much so, that critics and academics alike have sometimes described the
Liberal Party as "Canada's natural governing party".[26] As of 2022[update], the
Liberal Party of Canada had governed for 86 of the past 126 years. Canada's 23rd prime minister,
Justin Trudeau, is the 13th Liberal to serve as prime minister. The party ruled from 1896 to 1911, from 1921 to 1930 (except a few months), from 1935 to 1957, from 1963 to 1984 (except for a brief period from 1979 to 1980) and from 1993 to 2006. In early 2006, the newly formed
Conservative Party of Canada were elected, governing until 2015. After a nearly a decade in opposition, the Liberals returned to power following the
2015 election and were subsequently re-elected as minority governments in the
2019 election and the
2021 election.[27]
At the provincial level, dominant party systems were once common with single party governments holding power for decades in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. However, at present (2022) only the province of Saskatchewan could be described as having a dominant party system.
Saskatchewan has seen the centre-right
Saskatchewan Party win four consecutive elections in 2007, 2011, 2016, and 2020; with a majority government secured for the party in each of them. The Saskatchewan Party won 48 of the 61 seats in the 2020 election. Prior to the emergence of the Saskatchewan Party, the province's politics were dominated by the left-leaning, social democratic
Saskatchewan NDP (and its predecessor the
CCF), which governed from 1944 to 1964, 1971 to 1982 and 1991 to 2007. The Saskatchewan NDP remains the only opposition party in the Saskatchewan Legislature.
As a whole, the US has a
two-party system, with the main parties since the mid-19th century being
Democratic Party and the
Republican Party. Since then, no other parties have held government at a federal level. From the outbreak of the
Civil War till the
Great Depression, Republicans dominated government, holding the majority in the
House for all but 22 years of the period 1861–1933, and in the
Senate for all but 10 years during the same period. However, as result of the Great Depression and the popularity of the
New Deal, Democrats won back control of the U.S. government, coming to dominate
Congress for much of the 20th century, holding the majority in the
House for all but 4 years of the period 1933–1995 (including 40 years in a row starting in 1955), and in the
Senate for all but 10 years during the same period.
Unlike at the federal level, some states and cities have been dominated by one party for up to several decades. Some parts of the US have differing party systems and
third-party representation. Most notably the two main parties in
Puerto Rico (home to 3 million Americans) are the
New Progressive Party and the
Popular Democratic Party, with 3 minor parties represented after the
2020 election.
Dominant-party systems can also exist on
Indian reservations. The
Seneca Nation of Indians, a tribe with territory within the bounds of the
State of New York, has had the Seneca Party as the dominant party in its political system for several decades.
For 7 decades from the 1860s until the early 1930s, the
United States Congress was dominated by the Republican Party. Their dominance peaked during the
40th Congress (1867–1869), when Republicans held a three-quarters
supermajority in both chambers. During this period, Democrats only held a majority in the
House of Representatives for a total of 22 years. In the Senate, Democrats held a majority for a total of only 10 years. This was largely due to the enduring popularity of the Republicans in the Northern population centers following the Civil War. The Republican majorities fractured in the 1930s to usher in a new era of Democrat domination. For 62 years from 1933 until 1995, the
United States Congress was dominated by the Democratic Party. Their dominance peaked during the
75th Congress (1937–1939), when Democrats held a three-quarters
supermajority in both chambers. During this period, Republicans only held a majority in the
House of Representatives for a total of 4 years: 1947–49 and 1953–55. In the Senate, Republicans held a majority for a total of 10 years: 1947–49, 1953–55, and 1981–87. This was largely due to the enduring popularity of the
New Deal introduced by the Democratic Party during the
Great Depression, and supported by the
New Deal Coalition – a broad coalition of many different types of voters who all supported the Democratic Party's economic policies. The New Deal Coalition fractured in the mid-1960s and by the mid-1990s the Democrats had lost control of Congress in the "
Republican Revolution."
Gerrymandering has also been a feature of politics for the House of Representatives, allowing parties to sometimes retain or gain a majority of seats, even when losing the popular vote nationally.
No party has dominated the
Presidency since the end of the
First Party System in the 1820s. The
Democratic-Republican party controlled the Presidency for the longest period (24 years from 1801 until it splintered during and after the
election of 1824), and its
presidential candidate faced no organized opposition in
1820. Since then no party has had their candidates control the Presidency for more than 20 years in a row (the
Democratic Party from 1933 to 1953), and since 1953 no party has controlled the presidency for more than 12 years in a row (the
Republican Party from 1981 to 1993). The longest-serving President was Democrat
Franklin D. Roosevelt who served three consecutive terms from 1933 to 1945. Roosevelt was elected to a fourth term but died two months after the inauguration. In 1951, the U.S. ratified the
22nd Amendment which limits a person to two full terms as president but does not prevent candidates from one party from dominating the presidency by winning consecutive elections.
The US uses an
Electoral College system to elect its president, where votes in low population states have more weight. As a result, it is possible to win the presidential election while another candidate wins more votes, nationally. In 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016, a Republican candidate won the election and became president, while a Democrat received more votes.
In the 1960s, northern Democrats, including Southern Democratic President
Lyndon B. Johnson and his predecessor
John F. Kennedy, supported the
civil rights movement and passage of the
Civil Rights Act, which alienated the Southern Democrats. Beginning with the
1964 United States presidential election, the Republican Party developed a
southern strategy to slowly gain support among the newly disaffected Southern voters, by appealing to conservative cultural values, such as opposition to abortion.[29] This led to the South eventually becoming dominated overall by the Republican Party, although intrastate politics remained under Democratic control until the
2010 midterm elections, where they lost control of several legislatures under continuous Democratic control since Reconstruction.[30]
In the 21st century, there is increasingly an urban-rural split where large urban areas tend to be dominated by Democrats and rural areas tend to be dominated by Republicans. This tends to hold true despite the overall leanings of the state or territory. That is, rural areas tend to vote Republican even in otherwise Democrat-dominated states, while urban areas tend to vote Democrat even in Republican-dominated states. This trend is increasing over time, with rural areas growing more heavily Republican, and inner city areas growing more heavily Democratic.[31]
Some states have been dominated by a single party for a long period of time. States which have a long record of being dominated by one party are often called
red or blue states, after the colour representing their dominant party (red for Republicans, blue for Democrats). Some states lie in the middle, not being heavily dominated by either party. States where elections are especially close are often termed "purple."
California had Republican governors as late as 2011 (except 1975–1983 and 1999–2003) but has voted for Democrats in national races and has a legislature dominated by the Democrats since the 1990s. Due to the
top two primary election, many statewide and local races are contested by two members of the Democratic Party in the general election.
Maryland has elected a Republican governor as recently as
2018, but has voted for Democrats in federal elections since 1992 with large margins and has a legislature dominated by Democrats since the 1920s.
Oregon, while once a heavily Republican state, has had only one Republican governor since 1975, has voted Democrat in every presidential election since
1988, and had no Republican statewide elected officials from 2002 until the election of
Dennis Richardson as
Oregon Secretary of State in 2016.
Dominated by the Republican Party:
Texas:
dominated by Republicans since the mid-1990s, albeit with increasingly narrow margins federally. After being a part of the
Solid South for most of its existence, Texas started voting Republican-leaning in Presidential elections since the 1972 election. The down-ballot effect of this was not felt until the 1990s and early 2000s when Republicans won control over every legislative body, the Governor's office, and the Texan congressional delegations. Considered a Republican stronghold, and is often considered as the
Republican equivalent of California.
Idaho has been
dominated by Republicans for most of its existence, with no Democratic governors since 1994 and only two years in which the State Senate was tied evenly since 1960.
South Dakota has been
dominated by Republicans for most of its existence, aside from a few Democratic and Populist governments and coalitions with Republicans, with only three elected high officials and two years of State Senate dominance since 1979.
Utah has been
dominated by Republicans for most of its existence, except for Democratic dominance during the
Fifth Party System and between 1917 and 1920, the 1890s, and between 1959 and 1984.
Wyoming has been
controlled by Republicans for most of its existence, with only four years where a house of the legislature has been Democratic since 1939, and mostly Republican governors during that period.
Penang: Led by
Pakatan Harapan and its predecessor,
Pakatan Rakyat since 2008. Currently led a government coalition with Barisan Nasional after the 2023 state election.
Sarawak: Led by
Gabungan Parti Sarawak and its predecessors (BN Sarawak, Sarawak Alliance) since independence (1963).
Selangor: Led by
Pakatan Harapan and its predecessor,
Pakatan Rakyat since 2008. Currently lead a government coalition with Barisan Nasional after the 2023 state election.
Negeri Sembilan: Led by
Pakatan Harapan since 2018. Currently lead a government coalition with Barisan Nasional after the 2023 state election.
Estonia: The
Estonian Reform Party has won the last five parliamentary elections in Estonia since 2007. They have held the prime minister's position from 2002 to 2003, from 2005 to 2016 and from 2021 onwards. In power since 1999, with a hiatus from 2016 to 2021.
Estonian Reform Party has won all national and local elections in
Tartu, the second biggest city, since 1995. Holding mayor's position since 1996.
Estonian Centre Party has held the mayorship in
Tallinn since 2005, having won a majority of the city council seats there four consecutive times. In 2021, they received 38 out of 79 seats and formed a coalition.
Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU): Led by
Markus Söder,
Minister-President (since 2018); In power since 1946, with a sole hiatus from 1954 to 1957. From 1966 to 2003 and 2013 to 2018, CSU ruled with an absolute majority. Its share of votes peaked in 1974 at 62%. From 2003 to 2008, CSU held a two-thirds supermajority in the Bavarian Landtag. Since the 2010s, the CSU's dominance has somewhat eroded (31.7% in the
2021 German federal election; 37.2% in the
2018 Bavarian state election), but it is still considered impossible to form a government led by another party in Bavaria.
Christian Democratic Union (CDU):[37] In power since the establishment of the state in 1990. CDU ruled with an absolute majority until 2004, and even a two-thirds supermajority in the Landtag from 1994 to 2004. Its popularity peaked at 56.9% in the 1999 election. In the 2010s, CDU's dominance eroded significantly. In the
2017 German federal election, Saxony's CDU came in second place for the first time in the history of the state, reaching 26.9%, behind the far-right
Alternative für Deutschland. Due to the irreconcilability of left-wing and right-wing opposition parties, it is still considered impossible to form a state government led by another party than CDU.
Has won the majority of seats to the
House of Commons in Wales in every election since
1922. It has also been the largest party in the
Senedd (formerly known as the National Assembly for Wales, until 2020) since its inception in
1999.
Has won the majority of seats to the
House of Commons in London in every election since
1997. It has also been the largest party in the
London Assembly for most of its existence with exception to 2008–12.
British Columbia: The
Social Credit Party held power for all but three years between 1952 and 1991, winning 11 of the 12 elections held during this 39-year period. In 1991 the party was defeated by the centre-left
BC NDP and its role as the province's main centre-right vehicle was inherited by the
BC Liberals who themselves governed from 2001 to 2017 before also being defeated by the NDP.
Saskatchewan: The
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) and its predecessor the Cooperation Commonwealth Federation (CCF) won 12 out of 16 elections between 1944 and 2007. Today, the Saskatchewan NDP is the province's only opposition party with legislative representation.
Nova Scotia: The
Nova Scotia Liberal Party, in the province of
Nova Scotia, held office in an unbroken period from 1882 to 1925. During the period from 1867 to 1956, the party was in power for 76 of 89 years, most of that time with fewer than 5 opposition members.
Ontario: Ontario's party system was once a dominant party system, with the
Liberal Party of Ontario being the only political party to form government from 1871 to 1905; and having won the majority of the seats available in all twelve elections from 1871 to 1902. The turn of the 20th century saw a shift in party dominance from the Liberal Party of Ontario to the
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario,[note 5] with the latter winning 22 of the 28 elections held in the 20th century.[39][40] From 1943 to 1985, the Progressive Conservatives won 13 consecutive elections, forming the provincial government for 42 years. Known as the 'Big Blue Machine,' the Progressive Conservative government was known for having
Red Tory leanings particularly under Premiers
Leslie Frost,
John Robarts and
Bill Davis. Although the Progressive Conservatives won the most seats in the 1985 election, the party was unable to form government for the first time in 42 years, with the Liberal Party forming a
minority government with a
confidence and supply arrangement with the
Ontario New Democratic Party. The 42 year PC dynasty was followed by a decade of political upheavel in which the Liberals were defeated by the NDP in
1990 which in turn was defeated by the PC Party in
1995.[39]
Quebec: The
Union Nationale, in the province of
Quebec, held office uninterrupted from 1944 until 1960 with
Quiet revolution. And nearly with the
Quebec Liberal Party throughout province's political history with start from 1897 to 1935, then a second time in 1985 and 1989, and lastly third time in 2003 to 2018 with a short interruption of 2 years when the Parti Québécois won a minority government from 2012 to 2014.
The
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and its predecessors Partido Nacional Revolucionario (PNR) (1929–1938) and Partido de la Revolución Mexicana (PRM) (1938–1946) in Mexico held the
presidency from
1929 to
2000. The party governed all
states until 1989 and controlled both chambers of
congress until 1997. As of 2023, the PRI has continued an uninterrupted hold of the governorship in one state:
Coahuila.
The
Liberal Party, later known as the National
Porfirist Party, ruled consistently from 1867 to 1911.
From 1861 to 1932, the
Republican Party controlled the Presidency for all but 16 (4 presidential terms) out of 72 years (18 presidential terms), whilst also dominating Congress with majorities in the Senate for all but 10 out of 72 years, and in the House of Representatives for all but 22 out of 72 years.
From 1933 to 1995, the
Democratic Party held a
majority in both Houses of Congress except 1947 to 1949, 1953 to 1955 which Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress and 1981 to 1987 which Republicans controlled the Senate.
New Hampshire had mostly Republican governors from 1857 to 1997 (140 years) – Republicans held the governorship for all but 15 years (were only twice out of office for more than two consecutive years)
Vermont had only Republican governors from 1855 to 1963 (108 years)
Southern United States:
Until the 1990s, the South (usually defined as coextensive with the former
Confederacy) was known as the "
Solid South" due to its states' reliable support of the
Democratic Party, which at that time had a strong conservative wing. Several states had an unbroken succession of Democratic governors from half a century to over a century.
Antigua and Barbuda: The
Antigua Labour Party in Antigua and Barbuda, 1960–1971 and 1976–2004. They are currently ruling, but may not be yet considered dominant.
The
National Liberation Party is often referred as the hegemonic or dominant party between 1953 and 1983 as it won most elections, it held the majority in the
Legislative Assembly between 1953 and 1978, held consecutive governments several times and was only defeated in
1958,
1966 and
1978 thanks to the entire right-wing opposition nominating a common candidate in coalition. Only after 1983 with the merge of the
Unity Coalition into the
Social Christian Unity Party Costa Rica started its
two-party system.
The
Partido Liberal Nacionalista of the
Somoza family held effective control from the 1930s to 1979. It was never the sole legal party, but elections were often fraught with accusations of fraud and improbable results.
San Luis: The conservative Liberal Democratic Party ruled the province between 1922 and 1943. The
Justicialist Party has won every gubernatorial election between 1973 and 2019.
France: During the tenure of
Napoleon III (first as president 1848 to 1852 then as Emperor from 1852 to 1870), the
Bonapartists were a loose ruling political organization. Since the Fifth Republic, the main presidential parties,
Les Républicains (centre-right) or the
Parti Socialiste (centre-left), were the biggest parties in over half of the presidential elections, until both parties lost dominance in France since 2017, as centrist politician
Emmanuel Macron of
En Marche became president, with French right-wing leader
Marine Le Pen as the main opponent. Both parties have taken dominance since the
2017 French presidential election.
Baden-Württemberg: The
Christian Democratic Union of Germany ruled from 1953 to 2011 and was the biggest party until
2016 (except in Württemberg-Baden for 1950–1952), but is still the biggest party at the German federal elections[41] and European Parliament elections.[42] In the predecessor state of Baden, the Centre Party was the biggest party during the Weimar era until 1930.
Bavaria: The Bavarian Patriot Party (until 1887), the
Centre Party (until 1918) and the
Bavarian People's Party were the biggest parties in the Bavarian Landtag from 1869[43] to 1933 and ruled from 1920 to 1933.
Saar(not part of Germany at the time): The
Centre Party won every Landesrat election from 1922 to 1935.
Saar Protectorate(not part of Germany at the time): The Saarland Christian People's Party held the majority from 1947 to 1955, which was broken by the similar CDU in 1955.
Saarland: The
Christian Democratic Union of Germany ruled from the return of the Saar to (West) Germany in 1959 to 1980. In the Landtag elections, the CDU reached between 36.6% in 1955 and 49.1% in 1975;[44] the CDU also dominated federal elections (except in 1972),[45] and in the 1979 European Parliament election, the CDU/CSU won 46.4%.[46]
Thuringia: From the establishment of the state, the
Christian Democratic Union of Germany ruled without interruption until 2014, with an absolute majority from 1999 to 2009. Since 2014, it has been in opposition.
Luxembourg: The
Christian Social People's Party (CSV), with its predecessor,
Party of the Right, governed Luxembourg continuously from 1915 to 2013, except for 1974–1979. However, Luxembourg has a coalition system, and the CSV has been in coalition with at least one of the other two leading parties for all but four years. It has always won a plurality of seats in parliamentary elections, although it lost the popular vote
in 1964 and
1974.
The
Portuguese Republican Party, during most of the
Portuguese First Republic's existence (1910–1926): After the coup that put an end to
Portugal's constitutional monarchy in 1910, the electoral system, which had always ensured victory to the party in government, was left unchanged. Before 1910, it had been the
reigning monarch's responsibility to ensure that no one party remain too long in government, usually by disbanding Parliament and calling for new elections. The republic's constitution added no such proviso, and the Portuguese Republican Party was able to keep the other minor republican parties (monarchic parties had been declared illegal) from winning elections. On the rare occasions when it was ousted from power, it was overthrown by force, and it was again by the means of a counter-coup that it returned to power, until its final fall, with the republic itself, in 1926.
Catalonia: The
Convergence and Union coalition (federated political party after 2001) in
Catalonia governed the
autonomous Catalan government from 1980 to 2003, under the leadership of
Jordi Pujol, with parliamentary absolute majority or in coalition with other smaller parties. The party later governed again from 2010 until its dissolution in 2015.
Sweden: The
Swedish Social Democratic Party in Sweden governed from 1932 to 2006, except for some months in 1936 (1936–1939 and 1951–1957 in coalition with the
Farmers' League, 1939–1945 at the head of a government of national unity), 1976–1982 and 1991–1994. The party is still the largest party in Sweden and has been so in every general election since 1917 (hence the largest party even before the universal suffrage was introduced in 1921). The former Prime Minister and party leader
Tage Erlander led the Swedish government for an uninterrupted tenure of 23 years (1946–1969), the longest in any democracy so far. Since 2006, the party support has declined, but in 2014, it returned to government, although its centre-left coalition had no majority.
Turkey: In
Turkey's single-party period lasting until 1945, the
Republican People's Party (CHP) was the major political organisation of the single-party state. However, the CHP faced two opposition parties during this period, both established upon the request of the founder of the Republic of Turkey and CHP leader,
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in efforts to allegedly jump-start multiparty democracy in Turkey.[49] The pro-Kurdish
Peoples' Democratic Party[note 6] was the dominant party in the mainly Kurdish southeast from 1991 until the
2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt which resulted in
massive purges and the takeover of municipalities by the state. The landslide election victories of the
Justice and Development Party led to the party gaining majority in parliament between 2002 and 2018.[50] Since the
2018 parliamentary election, the party has minority in the parliament and is in a coalition.[51]
Bangladesh: In
Bangladesh, the
Awami League was the country's predominant political party between 1972 and 1975 and from 2009 to present. After the
military coup of 1975, the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) became the dominant political force between 1977 and 1982. Under the autocratic regime of General
Hussain Muhammad Ershad, the
Jatiya Party was the dominant party between 1986 and 1990. Currently, Bangladesh Awami League again has become the dominant political force since 2008.
Israel:
Mapai in Israel was the dominant party from the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 (and before 1944 they won the
Assembly of Representatives since 1925) until merging into present-day
Israeli Labor Party in 1968. The Labor Party started losing influence in the 1970s, particularly following the
Yom Kippur War, and eventually lost power in the
1977 election. The Labor Party continued to participate in several coalition governments until 2009.
Kedah: Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor Perikatan), in power from 1955 to 2008, defeated in 2008 election. Regained power in the 2013 state elections, but defeated again in the
2018 election.
Negeri Sembilan: Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor Perikatan), in power from 1955 to 2018, defeated in 2018 election. Currently BN is in a government coalition led by
Pakatan Harapan after the 2023 state election.
Penang: Barisan Nasional, in power from 1974 to 2008 under main component party in Penang
Gerakan, defeated in 2008 election. Gerakan as a single party also won state election in 1969, winning it from BN predecessor Perikatan, who held power in the state from 1955.
Perak: Barisan Nasional, in power from 1974 to 2008, defeated in 2008 election. BN regained power in 2009 as a result of
2009 Perak constitutional crisis, and won the 2013 Perak state election. BN would lose the Perak government again after defeat in the 2018 state election, but regained power in the wake of
2020 Malaysian political crisis. Its predecessor
Perikatan also held power from 1955 to 1969. Currently lead a coalition government with
Pakatan Harapan after the
2022 Perak state election.
Perlis: Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor Perikatan), in power from 1955 to 2022, defeated in
2022 election.[56]
Sabah: Barisan Nasional, in power from 1976 to 1985 (led by component party
BERJAYA), 1986 to 1990 (led by component party
PBS), and from 1994 to 2018 (led by component party
UMNO Sabah). Currently BN is in a coalition government with
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), after the
2020 Sabah state election. PBS also led the state government as a single party from 1985 to 1986, and as part of
Gagasan Rakyat coalition from 1990 to 1994. Before BN,
Perikatan Sabah (Sabah Alliance) holds power in Sabah from its independence in 1963 to 1976.
Selangor: Barisan Nasional, in power from 1974 to 2008, defeated in 2008 election. Its predecessor Perikatan also held power from 1955 to 1969.
Terengganu: Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor Perikatan), in power from 1955 to 2018, with exception to 1959–1961 and 1999–2004, when the state government were controlled by
Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS). Defeated in the
2018 election.
Liberia:
True Whig Party ruled consecutively from 1878 to 1980, in a de facto one-party state manner, though the country never explicitly banned opposition parties.
Australia: The
Liberal Party (generally in a near-permanent
Coalition with the
National Party) held power federally from 1949 to 1972 and from 1975 to 1983 (31 out of 34 years). After the expiry of the 46th Parliament in 2022, the
Liberal-National Coalition held power for 20 out of the 26 years between 1996 and 2022. Overall from 1949 to 2022, the Liberal Party held power for 52 out of 73 years. The longest-serving
Prime Minister was
Robert Menzies, who served from 1939 to 1941 (2 years) as a member of the
United Australia Party, and from 1949 to 1966 (16 years) as leader of the Liberal Party.
New South Wales: The
Labor Party held power from 1941 to 1965 (24 years), and from 1976 to 1988 and 1995 to 2011 (28 out of 35 years) – in total 52 out of 70 years from 1941 to 2011.
Queensland: The
Labor Party held power from 1915 to 1929 and from 1932 to 1957 (39 out of 42 years). The
National Party then held power from 1957 to 1989 (32 years) with and without the
Liberal Party. These were facilitated by a Labor-designed malapportionment that favoured rural districts. The National Party under
Joh Bjelke-Petersen increased the malapportionment with the
Bjelkemander, allowing them to rule alone without the Liberals, and used the police to suppress dissent and opposition from Labor. The National Party dominance was ended by a corruption inquiry, Bjelke-Petersen was forced to resign in disgrace, and police and politicians were charged with crimes. Since 1989, Labor has held government aside from a National Party government (1996 to 1998) and Liberal-National Party government (2012 to 2015) (28 years of Labor government out of 33 years).
Tasmania: The
Labor Party held power from 1934 to 1969 and from 1972 to 1982 (45 out of 48 years), from 1989 to 1992, and from 1998 to 2014 (16 years) – in total 64 out of 80 years from 1934 to 2014.
Victoria: The
National Citizens' Reform League (1902–1909), the
Deakinite Liberal Party (1909–1917) and the
Nationalist Party (1917–1924) consecutively held power from 1902 to 1924 (22 years). The
Country Party then ruled from 1924 to 1927 (3 years), followed by the Nationalist Party from 1928 to 1929 (1 year) in a
coalition. The Country Party and the
United Australia Party (later as the
Liberal and Country Party) held power with and without a coalition from 1932 to 1945 (13 years) and 1947 to 1952 (5 years). The Liberal Party then held power from 1955 to 1982 (27 years). In total, centre-right governments ruled 71 out of 80 years from 1902 to 1982.
Western Australia: The
Liberal Party held power from 1947 to 1983 with two one-term interruptions between 1953 and 1956 and 1971 to 1974 (30 out of 36 years).
Australian Capital Territory: The
Labor Party has held power since 2001 (in coalition with the
ACT Greens since 2012), previously holding government between 1989 and 1995 (24 years out of 30 years since self-government).
^"Natural Governing Party". The Dictionary of Canadian Politics. Campbell Strategies. 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
^"The Wonder Boy". Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times. Knopf Doubleday. 2017. p. 338.
ISBN9780307743879. The Republicans had come to see themselves as the natural governing party of the United States. Leaving aside the Cleveland and Wilson accidents, they had been in power since Grant's day. If Republican delegates declared an uncharismatic Hoover worthy of the presidency, voters were unlikely to argue.
^Isaacs, R.; Whitmore, S. (2013). "The Limited Agency and Life-Cycles of Personalized Dominant Parties in Post-Soviet Space: The Case of United Russia and Nur Otan". Democratization (4 (21)).
^Przeworski, A. (2000). Democracy and Development: Political Institutions and Well-Being in the World, 1950–1990. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 16.
^David Aprasidze, David S. Siroky: Technocratic Populism in Hybrid Regimes: Georgia on My Mind and in My Pocket, Politics Gov., Vol. 8, No. 4 (2020).
^Phillip Oravec, Edward C. Holland: The Georgian Dream? Outcomes from the Summer of Protest, 2018, Demokratizatsiya, Vol. 27, No. 2 (2019), pp. 249–256.
^
abBihari, Mihály (2013). "A magyarországi domináns pártrendszer". Politológia: a politika és a modern állam: pártok és ideológiák (in Hungarian). Budapest: Nemzedékek Tudása Tankönyvkiadó. pp. 291–295.
ISBN9789631976281.