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> Very often a few minor party seats hold the balance of power. This is partly because the major parties are so partisan they refuse to agree on anything out o
by mr_toad 6y ago
> Very often a few minor party seats hold the balance of power.
This is partly because the major parties are so partisan they refuse to agree on anything out of principle.
Edit: and when I say principle, I mean shear bloody mindedness.
- tomhoward 6y agoThat's not really true. In Australia, plenty of bills get passed with bipartisan support; you just don't hear much about it as it's not newsworthy. But on issues that are pertinent to each party's ideological position and the expectations of their members/voters, they will take strongly opposed positions. This is important, so that voters have different options to choose from, and that each party must argue convincingly for their policies when campaigning. If the parties are in consensus on most things, you end up with something not so different to one-party rule, and possibly endemic corruption.
- refurb 6y agoExactly. The US system is entirely designed around this. Two legislative bodies and a head of the executive all have to agree. If they can’t, it doesn’t get passed. That’s a feature, not a bug.