In the
Westminster System, there is a 'majority government' when the governing
party enjoys an absolute majority of seats in the
legislature or
parliament. This is as opposed to a
minority government, where even the largest party wins only a
plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from other parties in order to pass legislation and avoid being defeated on
motions of no confidence.
The term "majority government" may also be used for a stable coalition of two or more parties to form an absolute majority. One example of such an electoral coalition is in
Australia, where the
Liberal and
National Parties have run as an electoral bloc for decades.
See also
★
Coalition government
★
Minority government