Party System Essay

Each country has the system of governing. Political parties defined as an organization which candidates find an election to a governmental office. However, party system according to Abdul Rashid Moten and Syed Serajul Islam (2011) refer to the interactions of parties with each other and with the whole political system. Generally, party system is classified according to the number of political parties and relation among parties in the process of governing (Danziger, 1991). There are five types of party system which are two-party system, dominant party system, one-party system, multiparty system and two-plus party system (refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1).
The first type of party system is a two-party system. According to Danziger (1991), the main characteristic of two-party system is the changing in governmental power of two major political parties. The country’s electoral arrangement is the important factor that influencing the number of parties to compete effectively (Ethrige & Handelman, 2010). Each party has a possibility to gain majority of governing and also alternate in power. Abdul Rashid Moten and Syed Serajul Islam (2011) also stated two essential features which are supporting the characteristic by Danziger (1991). The first essential feature of two-party system is only two parties sharing the electoral vote and controls the political exercise. Secondly, the two major parties alternate in the exercise of power. In a two-party system, third party may exist, but has limited power instead a major party needs its support to gain majority (Rodee, Anderson, Cristo and Greene, 1983). Unlike the multiparty system, the two-party system is more stable because one of the parties might to achieve a legislative majority (Ethrige & Han...

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...e two large parties with one or more relevant smaller parties. For example, Germany has large Christian Democratic and Social Democratic parties, but the Free Democratic and Green Parties win enough votes to make them politically important. Austria was long dominated by the two big parties, but recently a third highly nationalistic party, has made major gains. As long as there are at least two parties, the system is called a “competitive party system”. Even thought, there are only two parties, and they are not far apart ideologically, the essence of a competitive party system continues which is to impede corruption. A single party that locks itself in power, whatever its ideological rationale inevitably becomes corrupt. Corruption can be kept in check only by the “out” party or parties hammering away at the alleged corruption in the ministration of the “in” party.