Abstract
It has frequently been observed that the British two-party system of government is not only unique in Europe, but also unusually robust. A critical assessment of the solidity of the claims made on the ability of a plurality system of voting to produce responsive, yet stable and efficient government has remained something of a set piece for students of the British political system, and an important touchstone for those claiming the superiority of the system to the multi-party systems of Europe and America (Ranney, 1962; Jennings, 1960–62; Blondel, 1973; Kirkpatrick, 1975; Mezey, 1979; Giulji, 1980; D. Olson 1980; M. Olson, 1982, pp.51–2).
“In a sophisticated industrial society, multi-party politics is more ‘natural’ than a two party system because there is a Bur wider diversity of interests seeking representation than can be accommodated by two major parties ….Yet … British Constitutional norms have hardly adapted to the norms of multi-party politics … the Constitution still assumes the continued existence of a stable two-party system with single-party governments alternating in office. There is thus a serious conflict between the realities of electoral life and the presuppositions of the Constitution.”(1983, p.43, 196)
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Willis, D. (1987). The Stability of Party Duopoly in Multi-Party Britain. In: Holler, M.J. (eds) The Logic of Multiparty Systems. International Studies in Economics and Econometrics, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3607-2_14
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