How does a coalition government strengthen democracy?
Answers
Explanation:
The criticism that coalition governments are inherently or necessarily unstable is not borne out by facts. Since the 1990s at the Union level, India had three Congress-led governments which were able to complete their full terms. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was able to complete his full term as the head of a BJP-led coalition.
About:
What determines the successes of coalition governments; how do they contribute to economic growth, and why post-poll coalitions are popular in India. The article will intend to cover these angles - critically.
Background:
Political systems are classified into federal and unitary forms of governance based on the distribution or concentration of powers between the centre and the state or in the centre respectively.
Federalism is a concept applied to a political system characterized by two levels of government deriving powers and functions from an authority which is not controlled by either level of government.
Federalism requires understanding and negotiations between the centre and state governments in the making and implementation of policies.
The upper level of government is the national or central government and the lower level of government may be called a province or state or canton.
The process of fragmentation of the national party system and emergence of minority or coalition governments started in India from 1967. This period also marked the emergence of coalitions and also new parties and mergers along with breakup of some parties and absorption of the others.
This began the era of Coalition Politics or Multi party rule in India. The adoption of multiparty system and regionalism changed the centre-state relations to a certain extent.
Participation of many regional parties in the coalition government at the centre particularly indicates the significant shift from centralized governance towards shared rule and federal governance.