Majoritarianism Analysis

Majoritarianism In the Context of British Politics In a nutshell, majoritarian politics is democracy taken to a more extreme level. Majoritarian governments are designed to favor the ideas of the ruling majority, as well as pass legislation based on the views of that group. The government of the United Kingdom has historically been majoritarian; utilizing a system built on fast and simple decision-making. In accordance with its historical roots, can the same tenets of majoritarianism be observed in the modern-day government of the United Kingdom? In what ways is having a majoritarian government beneficial, as well as detrimental, to the United Kingdom of the present? To begin, the majoritarian system may be seen as quicker and more …show more content…
Unlike the government of the United States, which has the executive, judicial, and legislative branches that are given equal power through a system of checks and balances, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is given more free reign. Of course, the Prime Minister governs in conjunction with the Cabinet, but to reiterate, he is not held to a system of checks and balances comparable to those that govern the United States’ president. This allows for fast action and decision making by a united majority, led by an elected representative, whose legislative group is the top executive authority in the government. Therefore, once elected, the Prime Minister is the individual with most of the governing …show more content…
In the majoritarian system of the United Kingdom, party ideologies tend to lean towards the pool of median voters, with the intention of earning a larger cut of the votes. It is in the parties’ best interest to hold a middle ground in their policies; not leaning too far left or right at the risk of losing the large median. This type of shift to the ideological middle, with the recent formation in 2010 of a coalition government between the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, seems to indicate that the United Kingdom is turning to a more moderate political style. The supporters like the idea of cooperation between the two parties, while those who are critical of this convergence “take the view that the public is actually being denied policy choices and alternatives” (Hancock 91). Overall, this arrangement seems the most convenient and stable (David Cameron is expected to be Prime Minister for another five-year term; until 2020) for the United Kingdom. However, only time will tell in what direction Britain is headed