POLI 360 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Conservative Coalition, Democratic Congress, Southern Democrats
6 Apr 2016
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Party unity is stronger in parliamentary systems. In these systems, the cabinet is rearranged or the government is dissolved if the leaders cannot muster up a majority for their policies, resulting in no particular election date. Unity is essential in parliamentary systems to prevent government collapse, especially because those parties are mass-membership parties with strong platforms that were developed by members and elected officials: congressional systems. In contrast, congress can vote against the president, the speaker, the majority leader, or any other leader without threat of government dissolution. The congressperson that votes against the party line may suffer personal professional problems, such distrust within the party or fewer campaign donations from the party, but these problems are trivial in relation to government dissolution. Congresspeople are therefore freer to vote the preferences of their constituents or their campaign contributors: party unity. Despite all of these factors that limit party unity. Congressional parties are now much more unified than before.
