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A dominant-party system, or one party dominant system, is a party system where only one political party can realistically become the government, by itself or in a coalition government. Under what has been 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, or finally, and most controversially, inherent cultural values averse to change.

Not all dominant-party systems are undemocratic. In many cases, such as the government of Tommy Douglas in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, pure populism can keep the momentum of a government going for quite some time. In other cases, sheer inertia preserves the dominant party, as with the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan, where some argue the Japanese people as well as Japanese special interests have gotten so accustomed to LDP rule that until quite recently they might have found it hard to imagine it any other way. However, others point out that until 1993 Japanese electoral districts suffered quite severe malapportionment, ranging from a 1:2 ratio to an extreme 1:6 ratio vote per candidate which favour LDP.

Thus in contrast to single-party systems, which are almost always authoritarian, dominant-party systems can occur within a context of a democratic system. In a single-party system other parties are banned, but in dominant-party systems other political parties are tolerated, and (in democratic dominant-party systems) operate without any 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).

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 clubs), lawsuits against the opposition, 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 in countries that are widely seen, both by their citizens and outside observers, to be textbook examples of democracy. 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.

Examples

Current dominant-party systems

The following countries appear to be run by dominant-party systems:

Africa

Angola

• Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola — Workers' Party, Movimento Popular da Libertação de Angola — Partido do Trabalho (MPLA-PT)
• Led by President José Eduardo dos Santos, in office since 10 September 1979
• In power since independence, 11 November 1975; sole legal party, 1977–91
• Presidential election, 1992: José Eduardo dos Santos (MPLA-PT) 49.6%
• Parliamentary election, 1992: MPLA 53.7% and 129 of 220 seats

Botswana

• Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)
• Led by President Ian Khama, in office since 1 April 2008
• In power since independence, 30 September 1966
• Parliamentary election, 2009: BDP 53.26% and 45 of 57 seats

Burkina Faso

• Congress for Democracy and Progress
• Congrès pour la Démocratie et le Progrès (CDP)
• Led by President Blaise Compaoré, in office since 15 October 1987
• In power, under various names, since 24 December 1991
• Presidential election, 2005: Blaise Compaoré (CDP) 80.4%
• Parliamentary election, 2002: CDP 49.5% and 47 of 91 seats

Cameroon

• Cameroonian People's Democratic Movement
• Rassemblement démocratique du Peuple camerounais (RDPC)
• Led by President Paul Biya, in office since 6 November 1982
• In power, under various names, since independence, 1 January 1960
• Sole legal party, 1966–90
• Presidential election, 2004: Paul Biya (RDPC) 70.9%
• Parliamentary election, 2007: RDPC 153 of 180 seats

Chad

• Patriotic Salvation Movement
• Mouvement patriotique du Salut (MPS)
• Led by President Idriss Déby Itno, in office since 2 December 1990
• In power since 2 December 1990
• Presidential election, 2006: Idriss Déby (MPS) 64.7%
• Parliamentary election, 2002: MPS 110 of 155 seats

Congo-Brazzaville

• Congolese Labour Party
• Parti congolais du Travail (PCT)
• Led by President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, in office from 8 February 1979 to 31 August 1992 and since 15 October 1997
• In power, under various names, from 1963 to 1992 and since 1997
• Sole legal party, 1963–90
• Presidential election, 2002: Denis Sassou-Nguesso (PCT) 89.4%
• Parliamentary election, 2002: PCT 53 of 137 seats

Djibouti

• Popular Rally for Progress
• Rassemblement populaire pour le Progrès (RPP)
• Led by President Ismail Omar Guelleh, in office since 8 May 1999
• In power since its formation in 1979
• Sole legal party, 1979–92
• Presidential election, 2005: Ismail Omar Guelleh (RPP) re-elected unopposed
• Parliamentary election, 2003: RPP in coalition, 62.4% and 65 of 65 seats

Egypt

• National Democratic Party (NDP)
• الحزب الوطني الديمقراطي (Al-Ḥizb al-Waṭanī al-Dīmuqrāṭī)
• Led by President Hosni Mubarak, in office since 14 October 1981
• In power, under various names, since 1953
• Sole legal party, 1953-78
• Presidential election, 2005: Hosni Mubarak (NDP) 88.6%
• Parliamentary election, 2005: NDP 311 of 454 seats

Equatorial Guinea

• Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
• Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial (PDGE)
• Led by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, in office since 3 August 1979
• In power since its formation in 1987
• Sole legal party, 1987–91
• Presidential election, 2002: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (PDGE) 97.1%
• Parliamentary election, 2004: PDGE 47.5% and 68 of 100 seats (91.9% and 98 of 100 seats including allies)

Ethiopia

• Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
• Led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, in office since 28 May 1991 (as prime minister since 22 August 1995)
• In power since 28 May 1991
• Parliamentary election, 2005: EPRDF 327 of 547 seats

Gabon

• Gabonese Democratic Party
• Parti démocratique gabonais (PDG)
• Led by President Omar Bongo Ondimba, in office since 28 November 1967
• In power, under various names, since independence, 17 August 1960
• Sole legal party, 1968–91
• Presidential election, 2005: Omar Bongo Ondimba (PDG) 79.2%
• Parliamentary election, 2006: PDG 82 of 120 seats (99 of 120 seats including allies)

The Gambia

• Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC)
• Led by President Yahya Jammeh, in office since 22 July 1994
• In power since its formation in 1996
• Presidential election, 2006: Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh (APRC) 67.3%
• Parliamentary election, 2007: APRC 42 of 48 seats

Guinea

• Party of Unity and Progress
• Parti de l'Unité et du Progrès (PUP)
• Led by President Lansana Conté, in office since 3 April 1984
• In power since its formation in 1991
• Presidential election, 2003: Lansana Conté (PUP) 95.6%
• Parliamentary election, 2002: PUP 61.6% and 47 of 76 seats

Lesotho

• Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD)
• Led by Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, in office since 29 May 1998
• In power since its formation in 1997
• Parliamentary election, 2007: LCD 61 of 120 seats

Mozambique

• Mozambican Liberation Front
• Frente da Libertação de Moçambique (FRELIMO)
• Led by President Armando Guebuza, in office since 2 February 2005
• In power since independence, 25 June 1975
• Sole legal party, 1975–90
• Presidential election, 2004: Armando Guebuza (FRELIMO) 63.7%
• Parliamentary election, 2004: FRELIMO 62.0% and 160 of 250 seats

Namibia

• South-West African People's Organisation (SWAPO)
• Led by President Hifikepunye Pohamba, in office since 21 March 2005
• In power since independence, 21 March 1990
• Presidential election, 2004: Hifikepunye Pohamba (SWAPO) 76.4%
• Parliamentary election, 2004: SWAPO 55 of 72 seats

Nigeria

• People's Democratic Party (PDP)
• Led by President Umaru Yar'Adua, in office since 29 May 2007
• In power since 29 May 1999
• Presidential election, 2003: Olusegun Obasanjo (PDP) 61.8%
• Parliamentary election, 2003: PDP 54.8% and 198 of 318 seats

Rwanda

• Rwandese Patriotic Front
• Front patriotique rwandais (FPR)
• Led by President Paul Kagame, in office since 24 March 2000
• In power since 19 July 1994
• Presidential election, 2003: Paul Kagame (FPR) 95.1%
• Parliamentary election, 2003: FPR 73.8% and 40 of 53 seats

Seychelles

• Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF)
• Led by President James Alix Michel, in office since 14 April 2004
• In power since 5 June 1977
• Sole legal party, 1979-1993
• Presidential election, 2006: James Alix Michel (SPPF) 53.7%
• Parliamentary election, 2007: SPPF 56.2% and 23 of 34 seats

South Africa

• African National Congress (ANC)
• Led by President Jacob Zuma, in office since 9 May 2009
• In power since 10 May 1994
• Parliamentary election, 2009: ANC 65.90% and 264 of 400 seats

Sudan

• National Congress Party (NCP)
• المؤتمر الوطني, al-Mu'tamar al-Waṭanī
• Led by President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, in office since 30 June 1989
• In power since its formation, 16 October 1993
• Presidential election, 2000: Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir (NCP) 86.5%
• Parliamentary election, 2000: NCP 355 of 360 seats

Tanzania

• Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)
• Led by President Jakaya Kikwete, in office since 21 December 2005
• In power, under various names, since independence, 9 December 1961
• Sole legal party, 1964–92
• Presidential election, 2005: Jakaya Kikwete (CCM) 80.3%
• Parliamentary election, 2005: CCM 206 of 232 seats

Togo

• Rally of the Togolese People
• Rassemblement du Peuple togolais (RPT)
• Led by President Faure Gnassingbé, in office since 5 February 2005
• In power since its formation in 1969
• Sole legal party, 1969–91
• Presidential election, 2005: Faure Gnassingbé (RPT) 60.2%
• Parliamentary election, 2007: RPT 50 of 81 seats

Tunisia

• Democratic Constitutional Rally
• Arabic: التجمع الدستوري الديمقراطي‎, Al-Tajammu` al-Dustūrī al-Dīmuqrāṭī; Rassemblement constitutionnel démocratique (RCD)
• Led by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in office since 7 November 1987
• In power, under various names, since independence in 1956
• Sole legal party, 1963–81
• Presidential election, 2004: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (RCD) 94.5%
• Parliamentary election, 2004: RCD 87.6% and 152 of 189 seats

Zambia

• Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD)
• Led by President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, in office since 2 January 2002
• In power since 2 November 1991
• Presidential election, 2006: Levy Patrick Mwanawasa (MMD) 43.0%
• Parliamentary election, 2006: MMD 72 of 150 seats

Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe African National Union — Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF)
• Led by President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, in office since 18 April 1980 (as president since 31 December 1987)
• In power since independence, 17 April 1980
• Presidential election, 2002: Robert Gabriel Mugabe (ZANU-PF) 56.2%
• House of Assembly election, 2005: ZANU-PF 59.6% and 78 of 120 elective seats (30 additional seats reserved for appointees)
• Senate election, 2005: ZANU-PF 73.7% and 43 of 50 elective seats (16 additional seats reserved for appointees and traditional chiefs)

Western Saharas Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

• Polisario Front
• In power since 1976
• Led by Secretary General Mohamed Abdelaziz
• General Popular Congress 2002: 100%
• In 2004, a splinter group, the Front Polisario Khat al-Shahid was announced.

Americas

Canada

• The Canadian province of Alberta has been ruled continuously by the Progressive Conservatives since August 30, 1971. Prior to that, the Social Credit Party held power for 36 years starting on August 22, 1935.

United States

• The District of Columbia has been continuously ruled by the Democratic Party since the Home Rule Act was passed in 1973.
• The Mayoralty of Chicago has been held by a member of the Democratic Party since 1927. In addition, as of 2008, all aldermen on the Chicago City Council save one (Brian Doherty) are Democrats.
• All New England members of the US House of Representatives are Democrats as of 2009, and 8 of 12 members of the US Senate are either Democrats or caucus with the party. All New England states since 1988 have voted for Democrats at the presidential level except New Hampshire in 2000, which George W. Bush won with a plurality. Massachusetts had an unbroken Democratic majority in its legislature since the early 1960s.

Venezuela

• Previously Fifth Republic Movement, now PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela), formed by a coalition of nearly all pro-Chávez parties.
• Led by President Hugo Chávez, in office since 2 February 1999
• Presidential election, 2006: Hugo Chávez 62.84%
• Parliamentary election, 2005: 114 of 167 seats; 139 out of 167 since the merging of most bolivarian parties.

Asia / Oceania

Australia

• Queensland
• The Labor Party in Queensland has been dominant since the defeat of National Party Premier, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen in 1987.

Cambodia

• Cambodian People's Party (KPK)
• Led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, in office since 14 January 1985
• In power since 1981

Kazakhstan

• Nur Otan is headed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev and holds all seats in the Majilis.

Kyrgyzstan

• Ak Jol is now considered the dominant party, supporting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

Malaysia

• Barisan Nasional (National Front), a coalition of 14 parties led by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO)
• Led by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, in office since 3 April 2009[1]
• In power since independence, 1957
• Parliamentary election, 2008: UMNO 29.33% and 79 out of 222 seats, total for Barisan Nasional 50.27% and 140 out of 222 seats

Samoa

• Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP)
• Led by Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sailele Malielegaoi, in office since 23 November 1998
• In power since 1982
• Parliamentary election, 2006: HRPP 35 of 49 seats

Singapore

• People's Action Party (PAP)
• Led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in office since 12 August 2004
• In power since 30 May 1959
• Presidential election, 2005: President S R Nathan elected unopposed (all competing candidates disqualified)
• Parliamentary election, 2006: PAP 66.6% and 82 out of 84 seats (of which 37 uncontested)

Tajikistan

• People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT)
• Led by President Emomalii Rahmon

Yemen

• General People's Congress (GPC)
• Arabic: المؤتمر الشعبي العام‎ Al-Mu'tamar al-Sha`bi al-`Ām
• Led by President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in office since 22 May 1990
• In power since the unification of North Yemen and South Yemen in 1990
• Presidential Election, 2006: Ali Abdullah Saleh (GPC) 77.2%
• Parliamentary Election, 2003: GPC 58.0% and 238 out of 301 seats

Europe

Armenia

• The Republican Party of Armenia is the dominant party in Armenia since the election of Robert Kocharyan as President, continuing under his successor Serzh Sargsyan.

Azerbaijan

• New Azerbaijan Party (Yeni Azərbaycan Partiyası YAP) has been in power essentially continuously since 1993.

Finland

• The Swedish People's Party is the dominant party in municipalities with a majority of Swedish-speaking Finns. It has won 100% of votes in a few Swedish-speaking municipalities at local elections.

Germany

• Christian Social Union has dominated politics in the state of Bavaria since 1957. Forming the government all on their own for most of the time they lost a lot of voters support in the 2008 elections and are now in a coalition government.

Georgia

• United National Movement is seen as dominant, having been the primary sponsor of the Rose Revolution of 2003.

Iceland

• The Independence Party has been a dominant political force in Iceland since the country declared independence in 1944. The Independents have held the chair of Prime Minister for approximately 41 years out of the 65 since democracy was established. Their longest consecutive was the 13 year reign of Davíð Oddsson (Prime Minister 30 April 1991 - 15 September 2004), after which he was appointed as chairman of the Central Bank of Iceland by his replacement as PM, Halldór Ásgrímsson of the Progressive Party. Oddsson then went on to recommend his former Minister of Finance and long-time colleague Geir H. Haarde to replace him as leader of the Independents, which was confirmed by an almost unanimous vote at the subsequent party-convention. Following Mr. Ásgrímsson's departure from politics in 2006, Mr. Haarde was appointed PM on behalf of the Independent Party. After the 2007 election Haarde led the formation of a coalition government with the Social Democratic Alliance, featuring himself as Prime Minister. The continuous reign of the Independence Party was broken in January 2009 as the Icelandic government was the first to collapse under pressure from a civil uprising triggered by the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

Republic of Ireland

• Fianna Fáil have been the dominant government party since 1987, except for a 30-month period in 1994-1997. The next election is scheduled for 2012, by which time the party will have held power for 23 of 25 years. Fianna Fáil have taken the largest number of seats in all Dáil Éireann elections since 1932. However they have not always formed a government, with coalition governments of other parties common throughout Irish history.

Italy

• Democrazia Cristiana, a catch-all party comprising both right-wing and left-wing factions, dominated the Politics of Italy for almost 50 years from 1944 until its demise amid a welter of corruption allegations in 1992–1994.

Luxembourg^{[citation needed]}

• The Christian Social People's Party (CSV), with its predecessor Party of the Right, has governed Luxembourg continuously since 1919, except for the 1974-79 period. However, Luxembourg has a coalition system, and the CSV has been in coalition with at least one of the two next two leading parties for all but four years. It has always won a plurality of seats in parliamentary elections, although it has lost the popular vote in 1964 and 1974.

Malta

• The Partit Nazzjonalista has democratically been the sole governing party in Malta since 1987, except for a brief 22-month period between 1996 and 1998. It won elections held in 1987, 1992, 1998, 2003 and 2008, each time defeating the left-of-centre Malta Labour Party. Since 1966 there have only been these two parties represented in the Maltese Parliament.

Montenegro

• Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro (founded 1943 (part of Communist Party of Yugoslavia, later League of Communists of Yugoslavia), League of Communists of Montenegro up to 22 June 1991, Communist Party of Montenegro up to 1952)
• Демократска партија социјалиста Црне Горе (founded 1943 (part of Комунистичка партија Југославије, later Савез комуниста Југославије), Савез комуниста Црне Горе up to 22 June 1991, Комунистичка партија Црне Горе up to 1952)
• Led by Milo Đukanović, second term Prime Minister since 29 February 2008 in a raw (PM in three terms from 15 February 1991 to 5 February 1998 and then again from 8 January 2003 to 10 November 2006, President from 15 January 1998 to 25 November 2002; acting Defense Minister from June 2006 to 10 November 2006)
• in power since establishment of Communist rule in Montenegro/Yugoslavia in 1944/5
• Sole legal party, 1945–90
• Presidential election, 2008: Filip Vujanović (DPS CG), 51.89%
• Parliamentary election, 2009: DPS CG in coalition, 51.94% and 48 (35) of 81 seats

Russia

• United Russia
• Supportive of President Vladimir Putin, in office since 31 December 1999
• In power since 2003
• Presidential election, 2004: Vladimir Putin 71.2%
• Parliamentary election, 2007: 64.1% and 315 of 450 seats

Former dominant-party systems

Countries which have since lost their one party dominance include:

• The Democratic-Republican Party was the dominant party nationwide in the United States during the Era of Good Feelings (1816-1824). Also, the Democratic Party was dominant in the Southern United States from the end of Reconstruction to the 1960s and 1970s (the Solid South) and across much of the nation during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Republicans won 14 out of 19 presidential elections from 1860 to 1932, while the Democrats won five consecutive elections from 1932 to 1948.
• The Conservative Party in the United Kingdom won four successive general elections, two of them by a landslide, holding power from 1979 to 1997.
• The Colorado Party of 19th- and 20th-century Uruguay
• The Liberal Party of Colombia from 1863 to 1880
• The Liberal Party of Guatemala from 1871 to 1944
• The Partido Autonomista Nacional of Argentina from 1874 to 1916
• The Colorado Party of Paraguay from 1880-1904 and then 1947-2008. They were the sole legal party from 1947-1962.
• The Christian Social People's Party (and its predecessor Party of the Right in Luxembourg has held office for all but five years since 1914.
• The Partido Revolucionario Institucional in Mexico from the 1920s until 2000
• The Norwegian Labour Party ruling from 1935 to 1965, though it has been the biggest party in Norway since 1927 and has been in power many other times.
• The Nacionalista Party in the Philippines was the dominant party during various times in the nation's history from 1935-1941, during 1945, from 1954-1961, and from 1966-1972
• The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, in Ontario (in Canada) from 1943 to 1985.
• The Indian National Congress from 1947 to 1977.
• The Muslim League in Pakistan from 1947 to 1958.
• The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League in Burma (now Myanmar) from 1948 to 1962.
• Democrazia Cristiana in Italy from 1948 to 1992 (usually in coalition with a group of smaller centrist parties). The only other major party, the Italian Communist Party, was prevented from taking power due to the Cold War.
• The National Party in South Africa from 1948 to 1994.
• The Liberal-Country Party Coalition government of Australia between 1949 and 1972 can also be considered an example of a former dominant party system.
• The Labor Party (under various names, including Mapai, The Alignment, and Ha'Avoda—i.e. Labor) in Israel until 1977
• The Christian Democratic Union in Germany from 1949 to 1969 (usually in coalition with the Liberals and smaller conservative groups).
• The Swedish Social Democratic Party in Sweden from 1932 to 1976 except only 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) It has also held the power the vast majority of elections even after 1976, and is still the largest party in Sweden.
• The Popular Democratic Party in Puerto Rico from 1949 to 1969.
• The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement in Bolivia from 1952 to 1964.
• The Antigua Labour Party in Antigua and Barbuda from 1960-1971 and 1976-2004.
• The People's Progressive Party in The Gambia from 1965 to 1994.
• The Golkar (Acronym of Golongan Karya or Functional Group) in Indonesia from 1971 to 1999.
• Kilusang Bagong Lipunan in the Philippines from 1978-1986.
• The Socialist Party of Serbia in Yugoslavia from 1992 to 2000.
• The Ulster Unionist Party in the former devolved administration of Northern Ireland between 1921 to 1972.
• The Labour Party won every election in Scotland between the 1960s and 2007
• Japan Liberal Democratic Party in power 1955–1993, and 1994-2009
• Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) was the dominant party during the term of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from 2001-2010.

See also

• List of democracy and elections-related topics