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Adominant-party system, orone-party dominant system, is a political occurrence in which a single political party continuously dominates election results over running opposition groups or parties.[1] Any ruling party staying in power for more than one consecutive term may be considered adominant party (also referred to as apredominant orhegemonic party).[2] Some dominant parties were called thenatural governing party, given their length of time in power.[3][4][5]
Dominant parties, and their domination of a state, develop out of one-sided electoral and party constellations within a multi-party system (particularly under presidential systems of governance), and as such differ from states under aone-party system, which are intricately organized around a specific party.[citation needed] Sometimes the term "de facto one-party state" is used to describe dominant-party systems which, unlike a one-party system, allows (at least nominally) democratic multiparty elections, but the existing practices or balance of political power effectively prevent the opposition from winning power, thus resembling a one-party state.[citation needed] Dominant-party systems differ from the political dynamics of other dominant multi-party constellations such asconsociationalism,grand coalitions andtwo-party systems, which are characterized and sustained by narrow or balancedcompetition and cooperation.[citation needed]
In political literature, more than 130 dominant party systems between 1950 and 2017 were included in a list by A. A. Ostroverkhov.[6] For example, in the post-Soviet states, researchers classify parties such as United Russia andAmanat (Kazakhstan) as dominant parties on the basis that these parties have long held the majority of seats in parliament (although they do not directly form the government or appoint officials to government positions).[7] In Russian political science literature, such associations are often called "parties of power".[citation needed]
It is believed that a system with a dominant party can be either authoritarian or democratic. However, since there is no consensus in the global political science community on a set of mandatory features of democracy (for example, there is a point of view according to which the absence of alternation of power is, in principle, incompatible with democratic norms),[8] it is difficult to separate the two types of one-party dominance.[9]
Dominant-party systems are commonly based onmajority rule forproportional representation ormajority boosting insemi-proportional representation.[citation needed]Plurality voting systems can result in large majorities for a party with a lower percentage of the vote than in proportional representation systems due to a fractured opposition (resulting inwasted votes and a lower number of parties entering the legislature) andgerrymandering.[citation needed]
Critics of the "dominant party" theory argue that it views the meaning of democracy as given, and that it assumes that only a particular conception ofrepresentative democracy (in which different parties alternate frequently in power) is valid.[10]Raymond Suttner, himself a former leader in theAfrican National Congress (ANC), argues that "the dominant party 'system' is deeply flawed as a mode of analysis and lacks explanatory capacity. But it is also a very conservative approach to politics. Its fundamental political assumptions are restricted to one form of democracy, namely electoral politics, and display hostility towards popular politics. This is manifest in the obsession with the quality of electoral opposition, and its sidelining or ignoring of popular political activity organised in other ways. The assumption in this approach is that other forms of organisation and opposition are of limited importance or a separate matter from the consolidation of their version of democracy."[10][non-primary source needed][excessive quote]
One of the dangers of dominant parties is "the tendency of dominant parties to conflate party and state and to appoint party officials to senior positions irrespective of their having the required qualities."[10] However, in some countries this is common practice even when there is no dominant party.[10] In contrast toone-party systems, dominant-party systems can occur within a context of a democratic system as well as an authoritarian one.[citation needed] In a one-party system other parties are banned, but in dominant-party systems other political parties are tolerated, and (in democratic dominant-party systems) operate without overt legal impediment, but do not have a realistic chance of winning; the dominant party genuinely wins the votes of the vast majority of voters every time (or, in authoritarian systems, claims to).[citation needed] Under authoritarian dominant-party systems, which may be referred to as "electoralism" or "soft authoritarianism",opposition parties are legally allowed to operate, but are too weak or ineffective to seriously challenge power, perhaps through various forms of corruption, constitutional quirks that intentionally undermine the ability for an effective opposition to thrive, institutional and/or organizational conventions that support the status quo, occasional but not omnipresentpolitical repression, or inherent cultural values averse to change.[citation needed]
In some states opposition parties are subject to varying degrees of official harassment and most often deal with restrictions on free speech (such as press laws), lawsuits against the opposition, and rules or electoral systems (such asgerrymandering of electoral districts) designed to put them at a disadvantage.[citation needed] In some cases outrightelectoral fraud keeps the opposition from power.[citation needed] However, some dominant-party systems occur, at least temporarily, in countries that are widely seen, both by their citizens and outside observers, to be textbook examples of democracy.[citation needed] An example of a genuine democratic dominant-party system would be the pre-Emergency India, which was almost universally viewed by all as being a democratic state, even though the only major national party at that time was theIndian National Congress.[citation needed] The reasons why a dominant-party system may form in such a country are often debated: supporters of the dominant party tend to argue that their party is simply doing a good job in government and the opposition continuously proposes unrealistic or unpopular changes, while supporters of the opposition tend to argue that the electoral system disfavors them (for example because it is based on the principle offirst past the post), or that the dominant party receives a disproportionate amount of funding from various sources and is therefore able to mount more persuasive campaigns.[citation needed] In states with ethnic issues, one party may be seen as being the party for an ethnicity or race with the party for the majority ethnic, racial or religious group dominating, e.g., theAfrican National Congress inSouth Africa (governing since the end ofapartheid in 1994) has strong support amongstBantu peoples of South Africa and theUlster Unionist Party governedNorthern Ireland from its creation in 1921 until 1972 with the support of theProtestant majority.[citation needed] Similarly, the Apartheid-eraNational Party in South Africa had the support ofAfrikaners who make up the majority ofWhite South Africans while English-speaking white South Africans tended towards more liberal and reform-oriented parties like theProgressive Federal Party.[citation needed]
Sub-national entities are often dominated by one party due to the area's demographic being on one end of the spectrum or espousing a unique local identity.[citation needed] For example, the current electedgovernment of theDistrict of Columbia has been governed byDemocrats since its creation in the 1970s,Bavaria by theChristian Social Union since 1957,Madeira by theSocial Democrats since 1976, andAlberta by theProgressive Conservatives from 1971 to 2015. On the other hand, where the dominant party rules nationally on a genuinely democratic basis, the opposition may be strong in one or more subnational areas, possibly even constituting a dominant party locally; an example is South Africa, where although the African National Congress is dominant at the national level, the oppositionDemocratic Alliance is strong to dominant in theProvince of Western Cape.[citation needed]
In dominant-party governments, they use institutional channels, rather than repression, to influence the population.[11] Coercive distribution can control citizens and economic elites through land reform, poverty alleviation, public health, housing, education, and employment programs.[12] Further, they distribute private goods to the winning coalition (people who are necessary for its reign) in order to stay in power.[13] Giving the winning coalition private goods also prevents civil conflict.[14] They also use the education system to teach and uphold compliance. The recruiting, disciplining, and training of teachers allow for authoritarian governments to control teachers into following their objective: to foster compliance from the youth.[15] Another way that they maintain control is through hosting elections. Even though they would not be fair elections, hosting them allows citizens to feel that they have some control and a political outlet.[16] They can also enhance rule within their own state through international collaboration, by supporting and gaining the support, especially economic support, of other similar governments.[17]
Angola
Burundi
Cameroon[20]
Republic of the Congo[citation needed]
Djibouti[21]
Equatorial Guinea[22]
Ethiopia[citation needed]
Mozambique[citation needed]
Namibia[23]
Nigeria
Rwanda[citation needed]
South Sudan[citation needed]
Tanzania[24]
Togo[citation needed]
Uganda
Zimbabwe[citation needed]
Antigua & Barbuda
Barbados
Bolivia
Brazil
Bahia: theWorkers' Party has won every gubernatorial election since 2006.
Costa Rica
Curridabat:21st Century Curridabat has elected allCurridabat mayors since direct mayor elections exist in Costa Rica in2002.
Dominica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Paraguay
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Venezuela
Australia
Cambodia
India
Indonesia
Bali: Dominated by theIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle since 2003. TheIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle won gubernatorial elections in 2003, 2008,2018, and2024
West Sumatra: TheProsperous Justice Party won every gubernatorial elections in 2010,2015,2020, and2024
Malaysia
Kelantan: Led byParti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) under various coalitions (Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah,Barisan Alternatif,Pakatan Rakyat,Gagasan Sejahtera,Perikatan Nasional (PN)) since 1990. PAS also lead the state government as a single party from 1955 to 1973 and as a component party ofBarisan Nasional from 1973 to 1978, when they were expelled from BN in the aftermath of the1977 Kelantan Emergency.[28]
Pahang: Led byBarisan Nasional and its predecessor,Perikatan since 1955. Currently lead a coalition government withPakatan Harapan after the2022 Pahang state election.
Penang: Led byPakatan Harapan and its predecessor,Pakatan Rakyat since 2008. Currently led a government coalition with Barisan Nasional after the 2023 state election.
Sarawak: Led byGabungan Parti Sarawak and its predecessors (BN Sarawak, Sarawak Alliance) since independence (1963).
Selangor: Led byPakatan Harapan and its predecessor,Pakatan Rakyat since 2008. Currently lead a government coalition with Barisan Nasional after the 2023 state election.
Negeri Sembilan: Led byPakatan Harapan since 2018. Currently lead a government coalition with Barisan Nasional after the 2023 state election.
Terengganu: Led byPAS under many coalitions (currently underPN), similar to Kelantan since2018. The PN coalition won all seats in the state after the2023 state election.[29]
Palestinian National Authority
Singapore
Tajikistan[citation needed]
Turkmenistan[citation needed]
Azerbaijan
Georgia[31][32]
Kazakhstan[citation needed]
Russia
Turkey
Austria
Lower Austria
Tyrol
Vienna Vorarlberg Upper Austria
Estonia
Germany
Bavaria
Saxony
Brandenburg
Hungary
Italy
Emilia-Romagna
Lombardy
Tuscany
South Tyrol
Veneto
Moldova
Transnistria
Portugal
Madeira: theSocial Democratic Party has dominated political life in theautonomous region ofMadeira since the first regional elections, in 1976.Alberto João Jardim served asPresident of the Regional Government uninterruptedly from 1978 to 2015.
San Marino
Serbia
Spain
Basque Country
Castilla-La Mancha
Castile and León
Community of Madrid
Galicia
Ukraine
Kharkiv
United Kingdom:
Wales:
London:
Scotland:
Canada:
Alberta:
Ontario: Mexico:
United States: Antigua and Barbuda: TheAntigua Labour Party in Antigua and Barbuda, 1960–1971 and 1976–2004. They are currently ruling, but may not be yet considered dominant. Barbados: TheBarbados Labour Party in theBarbados from 1994 to 2008.They are currently ruling, but may not be yet considered dominant. TheDemocratic Labour Party from 1961 to 1976.
Bahamas: TheProgressive Liberal Party in theBahamas from 1967 to 1992
Bermuda: TheUnited Bermuda Party inBermuda from 1968 to 1998. Costa Rica:
San José:Johnny Araya was theMayor of San Jose from 1998 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2024, both times almost entirely as a member of theNational Liberation Party.
Dominican Republic: TheBlue Party from 1879 to 1899. TheDominican Liberation Party from 2004 to 2020.
El Salvador:
Guatemala: TheConservative Party in Guatemala from 1851 and 1871; theLiberal Party in Guatemala from 1871 and 1920, 1921 and 1926, 1931 and 1944.
Honduras: TheNational Party in Honduras from 1933 to 1956, and again from 2010 to 2022. Nicaragua:
Puerto Rico: ThePopular Democratic Party inPuerto Rico from 1949 to 1969.
Trinidad and Tobago:People's National Movement ruled from 1956 to 1986.
Argentina:
San Luis: The conservative Liberal Democratic Party ruled the province between 1922 and 1943. TheJusticialist Party has won every gubernatorial election between 1973 and 2019.
Neuquén:Neuquén People's Movement has won every gubernatorial election since 1962 and until the2023 gubernatorial election.
Santa Cruz: The Justicialist Party has won every gubernatorial election between 1973 and 2019. Bolivia:Liberal Party ruled from 1899 to 1920. TheRevolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) inBolivia from 1952 to 1964. Brazil: TheNational Renewal Alliance Party (ARENA) in Brazil from 1965 to 1979.
São Paulo: has been dominated by theBrazilian Social Democracy Party since 1994, until election ofTarcísio de Freitas in2022.
Chile: From 1829 to 1871, a successive number of parties (Pelucones toConservative toNational Party) governed Chile. From 1990 to 2010 theConcertación Coalition hold presidency.
Colombia: TheLiberal Party ofColombia from 1861 to 1886, and later on from 1886 to 1900 as the brief successor partyNational Party, andColombian Conservative Party from 1900 to 1930
Ecuador:Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party ruled from 1895 to 1925.PAIS Alliance ruled from 2007 to 2021.
Guyana: ThePeople's National Congress from 1964 to 1992. ThePeople's Progressive Party from 1992 to 2015. Paraguay:Liberal Party from 1912 to 1936
Uruguay: TheColorado Party ofUruguay, between 1865 and 1959 Venezuela:Conservative Party ruled from 1830 to 1851.Fifth Republic Movement ruled from 1999 until its merging with the newly createdUnited Socialist Party of Venezuela in 2007, which has been the ruling party since then.
Armenia: TheRepublican Party of Armenia controlled the country from 1999 until 2018, when it lost all of its seats in parliament after the2018 Armenian revolution and the2018 parliamentary election. Austria: TheAustrian People's Party ruled as the dominant governing coalition leader from 1945 to 1970, and theSocial Democratic Party of Austria, under a similar arrangement, from 1970 to 2000.
Austria-Hungary: TheCisleithania Minister-Presidency was dominated by theConstitutional Party from 1871 to 1893. Vienna: TheSocial Democratic Workers' Party of Austria (predecessor of the SPÖ, in power since 1945), dominated Vienna between 1911 and 1934. Lower Austria: TheChristian Social Party (predecessor of the ÖVP, in power since 1945), dominated Lower Austria between 1907 and 1934. Upper Austria: TheChristian Social Party (predecessor of the ÖVP), dominated Upper Austria between 1907 and 1934. Vorarlberg: TheChristian Social Party (predecessor of the ÖVP), dominated Vorarlberg between 1907 and 1934. Tyrol: TheChristian Social Party (predecessor of the ÖVP), dominated Tyrol between 1907 and 1934. Salzburg: The Salzburger Volkspartei, the ÖVP and their predecessors dominated Salzburg between 1919 and 2004.[note 6]
Styria: The Steirische Volkspartei, the ÖVP and their predecessors dominated Styria between 1907 and 2005.[note 6]
Belgium: TheCatholic Party sent prime ministers from 1884 to 1937. TheCatholic People's Party sent prime ministers from 1979 to 1999.
Flanders: TheChristian Social Party and theChristen-Democratisch en Vlaams dominated Flanders from at least 1968 to 1999.
Bulgaria:GERB was the ruling party from 2009 to 2021 (with an exception from 2013 to 2014). It is the biggest Bulgarian party.
Croatia: TheCroatian Democratic Union was in power from the first multi-party elections in1990, when Croatia was still a constituent republic ofSFR Yugoslavia, until it lost theparliamentary andpresidential elections in 2000. For most of the 1990s, the party had an absolute majority in both theChamber of Representatives and theChamber of Counties, while its chairman,Franjo Tuđman, wasPresident of Croatia under ade facto superpresidential system of government until his death in 1999.
Denmark: TheNational Landowners, and later theHøjre, ruled Denmark from 1874 to 1901. Estonia:Estonian Centre Party has held the mayorship inTallinn since 2005, having won a majority of the city council seats there four consecutive times. In 2021, they received 38 out of 79 seats and formed a coalition.
Finland: The Agrarian League, later theCentre Party, dominated the Presidency underUrho Kekkonen from 1956 to 1982.
France: During the tenure ofNapoleon III (first as president 1848 to 1852 then as Emperor from 1852 to 1870), theBonapartists were a loose ruling political organization. Since the Fifth Republic, the main presidential parties,Les Républicains (centre-right) or theParti Socialiste (centre-left), were the biggest parties in over half of the presidential elections, until both parties lost dominance in France since 2017, as centrist politicianEmmanuel Macron ofEn Marche became president, with French right-wing leaderMarine Le Pen as the main opponent. Both parties have taken dominance since the2017 French presidential election. Georgia: TheUnion of Citizens of Georgia was the dominant political force from its establishment in 1995 to its dissolution and overthrow in 2003 in theRose Revolution, during which the party's leader and president,Eduard Shevardnadze, was ousted. Germany: TheChristian Democratic Union ruledWest Germany and later a unified Germany from its establishment in 1949 to 1969, and again from 1982 to 1998 and from 2005 to 2021.
Baden-Württemberg: TheChristian Democratic Union of Germany ruled from 1953 to 2011 and was the biggest party until2016 (except in Württemberg-Baden for 1950–1952), but is still the biggest party at the German federal elections[43] and European Parliament elections.[44] In the predecessor state of Baden, the Centre Party was the biggest party during the Weimar era until 1930. Bavaria: The Bavarian Patriot Party (until 1887), theCentre Party (until 1918) and theBavarian People's Party were the biggest parties in the Bavarian Landtag from 1869[45] to 1933 and ruled from 1920 to 1933.
Saar(not part of Germany at the time): TheCentre Party won every Landesrat election from 1922 to 1935.
Saar Protectorate(not part of Germany at the time): The Saarland Christian People's Party held the majority from 1947 to 1955, which was broken by the similar CDU in 1955.
Saarland: TheChristian Democratic Union of Germany ruled from the return of the Saar to (West) Germany in 1959 to 1980. In the Landtag elections, the CDU reached between 36.6% in 1955 and 49.1% in 1975;[46] the CDU also dominated federal elections (except in 1972),[47] and in the 1979 European Parliament election, the CDU/CSU won 46.4%.[48]
Thuringia: From the establishment of the state, theChristian Democratic Union of Germany ruled without interruption until 2014, with an absolute majority from 1999 to 2009. Since 2014, it has been in opposition. Hungary
Hungary: TheDeák Party (which merged with the Left Centre to form theLiberal Party in 1875) ruled Hungary from 1867 to 1905, and theNational Party of Work between 1910 and 1918.[49] Hungary: TheUnity Party and theParty of National Unity (renamed Party of Hungarian Life in 1939) governed theKingdom of Hungary from 1922 to 1944.[49]
Hungary: After the elected Prime MinisterFerenc Nagy was forced into exile in May 1947, theHungarian Communist Party became the Hungary'sde facto ruling party until formally declaring the country to be asingle-party state in August 1949.[50]
Ireland: Ireland'sFianna Fáil was the largest party inDáil Éireann between 1932 and 2011 and in power for 61 of those 79 years. However, the party were heavily defeated in the2011 Irish general election, coming third. Italy: Italy'sChristian Democracy dominatedItalian politics for almost 50 years as the major party in every coalition that governed the country from 1944 until its demise amida welter of corruption allegations in 1992–1994. The main opposition to the Christian democratic governments was theItalian Communist Party..svg)
Emilia-Romagna: TheItalian Socialist Party dominated the region from 1909 until the rise ofFascism.Emilia-Romagna: TheItalian Communist Party dominated the region from 1946 until 1991.Emilia-Romagna: TheDemocratic Party of the Left dominated the region from 1991 until 1998.Emilia-Romagna: TheDemocrats of the Left dominated the region from 1998 until 2007.
Tuscany: TheItalian Communist Party dominated the region from 1946 until 1953, and then from 1963 until 1991.Tuscany: TheDemocratic Party of the Left dominated the region from 1991 until 1998.Tuscany: TheDemocrats of the Left dominated the region from 1998 until 2007.
Liechtenstein: TheProgressive Citizens' Party governed from 1928 to 1970.
Luxembourg: TheChristian Social People's Party (CSV), with its predecessor,Party of the Right, governed Luxembourg continuously from 1915 to 2013, except for 1974–1979. However, Luxembourg has a coalition system, and the CSV has been in coalition with at least one of the other two leading parties for all but four years. It has always won a plurality of seats in parliamentary elections, although it lost the popular votein 1964 and1974.
Malta: TheNationalist Party dominated the Maltese political scene from1988 to 2013, when theLabour Party won the government in the 2013general election.
Monaco:Rally & Issues governed the National Assembly from 1962 to 2003.
Montenegro: TheDemocratic Party of Socialists (DPS) ruled Montenegro from 1990 to 2020, having been defeated in the2020 election.
Norway: TheNorwegian Labour Party ruled from 1935 to 1965 (including the 5 years ofGovernment-in-exile duringWorld War II), though it has been the biggest party inNorway since 1927 and has been in power many other times.
Poland: TheLaw and Justice party (PiS) won the majority of seats in theSejm and formed governments in2015 and2019, while also winning the Presidency in2015 and2020. After the2023 Parliamentary election, they lost the majority in the Sejm and failed to establish a government coalition. Portugal:
South Ossetia Serbia: The dominant party in Serbia is theSerbian Progressive Party led by Aleksandar Vučić. The party has won all parliamentary and presidential elections since2012 and rules in almost all municipalities and cities in the country.[51]
Kingdom of Serbia:People's Radical Party, led byNikola Pašić, dominated the political landscape of the Kingdom of Serbia from 1904 and 1918. Pašić also served as thePrime Minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia from 1918 to 1926 with brief interruptions.[52]
FR Yugoslavia: TheSocialist Party of Serbia controlled the country from 1992 to 2000. Spain
Andalusia: ThePSOE-A party (the Andalusian branch of nationwidePSOE) was the ruling party in theAndalusian Autonomous Government continuously between 1978 and 2019, being also the most voted party in all elections for theParliament of Andalusia during that interval, except one (2012). After the2018 Andalusian election, a right-to-centre coalition led by thePeople's Party entered office, and in2022 the People's Party achieved an absolute majority.
Catalonia: TheConvergence and Union coalition (federated political party after 2001) inCatalonia governed theautonomous Catalan government from 1980 to 2003, under the leadership ofJordi Pujol, with parliamentary absolute majority or in coalition with other smaller parties. The party later governed again from 2010 until its dissolution in 2015.
Extremadura
Valencian Community: ThePeople's Party of the Valencian Community (the Valencian branch of nationwidePeople's Party) was the ruling party in theValencian Autonomous Government between 1995 and 2015, being the most voted party in all elections for theValencian Parliament during that interval. After the2015 Valencian elections, a left-to-centre coalition entered office.
Switzerland: From 1848 to 1891, theFree Democratic Party held all seven seats of theFederal Council, thus having full control of the Swiss Directorial Government.
Sweden: TheSwedish Social Democratic Party in Sweden governed from 1932 to 2006, except for some months in 1936 (1936–1939 and 1951–1957 in coalition with theFarmers' League, 1939–1945 at the head of a government of national unity), 1976–1982 and 1991–1994. The party is still the largest party in Sweden and has been so in every general election since 1917 (hence the largest party even before the universal suffrage was introduced in 1921). The former prime minister and party leaderTage Erlander led the Swedish government for an uninterrupted tenure of 23 years (1946–1969), the longest in any democracy so far. Since 2006, the party support has declined, but in 2014, it returned to government, although its centre-left coalition had no majority. Turkey: InTurkey's single-party period lasting until 1945, theRepublican People's Party (CHP) was the major political organisation of the single-party state. However, the CHP faced two opposition parties during this period, both established upon the request of the founder of the Republic of Turkey and CHP leader,Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in efforts to allegedly jump-start multiparty democracy in Turkey.[53] The pro-KurdishPeoples' Democratic Party[note 7] was the dominant party in the mainly Kurdish southeast from 1991 until the2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt which resulted inmassive purges and the takeover of municipalities by the state. The landslide election victories of theJustice and Development Party led to the party gaining majority in parliament between 2002 and 2018.[54] Since the2018 parliamentary election, the party has minority in the parliament and is in a coalition.[55] United Kingdom:
Northern Ireland: Scotland:
Afghanistan: InAfghanistan, thePeople's Democratic Party of Afghanistan was the only legal political party from 1978 until 1987 when other parties were allowed while the PDPA remained the dominant political party until 1992.
Bangladesh: InBangladesh, theAwami League was the country's predominant political party between 1972 and 1975 and from 2009 to 2024. After themilitary coup of 1975, theBangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) became the dominant political force between 1977 and 1982. Under the autocratic regime of GeneralHussain Muhammad Ershad, theJatiya Party was the dominant party between 1986 and 1990. Bangladesh Awami League again became the dominant political party in 2008 and ended in 2024 afterSheikh Hasina's resignation amid the2024 Bangladesh protests.
Burma: TheAnti-Fascist People's Freedom League in Burma (now Myanmar) from 1948 to 1962. TheUnion Solidarity and Development Party from 2011 to 2016 (as amilitary junta from 1988 to 2011). Cambodia: TheDemocratic Party was the dominant party in Cambodia from 1946 to 1955, TheSangkum in Cambodia was the dominant party under PrinceNorodom Sihanouk as head of government from 1955 to 1970. Under theKhmer Republic theSocial Republican Party was the dominant party under GeneralLon Nol from 1972 to 1975.
Republic of China: TheKuomintang established ade factoone-party state in theRepublic of China on the mainland and subsequently onTaiwan until political liberalization and the lifting ofmartial law in the late 1980s. The Kuomintang continued to dominate the political system until the victory of the oppositionDemocratic Progressive Party in the2000 presidential election. The Kuomintang maintained control of theLegislative Yuan until2016. India: TheIndian National Congress had continuously ruled theparliament of India and variousstate legislatures since independence in 1947 to 1977 and 1980 to 1989. Indonesia: TheGolkar (acronym ofGolongan Karya or Functional Groups) organization, in power from 1971 to 1999 in support forPresident Suharto.
Central Java: Dominated by theIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle since 2003. Led byIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle politicians during 2003-2023
Depok City: Led byProsperous Justice Party politicians during 2005-2025
Iran: TheIran Novin Party dominated Iran'sparliament,cabinet, and local councils from 1964 until Iran became a one-party state in 1975.
Israel:Mapai in Israel was the dominant party from the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 (and before 1944 they won theAssembly of Representatives since 1925) until merging into present-dayIsraeli Labor Party in 1968. The Labor Party started losing influence in the 1970s, particularly following theYom Kippur War, and eventually lost power in the1977 election. The Labor Party continued to participate in several coalition governments until 2009.
Japan:Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), in power1955–1993, 1996–2009 and since 2012. After the2024 Japanese general election, LDP no longer has a majority in theHouse of Representatives.
South Korea:Conservative parties:Liberal Party (South Korea) in power 1948–1960,Democratic Republican Party (South Korea) in power 1962–1980,Democratic Justice Party in power 1980–1990,Democratic Liberal Party (South Korea) in power 1990–1995,New Korea Party in power 1995–1997 andSaenuri Party in power 2008–2017. Malaysia:Barisan Nasional (BN), in power from 1974 to 2018, defeated in2018 election. Also in a coalition government withPerikatan Nasional from 2020 to 2022 in the wake of2020 Malaysian political crisis, with BN leading from 2021 to 2022. Its predecessorPerikatan also held power from 1955 to 1973. After the2022 Malaysian general election, despite currently in a coalition government led byPakatan Harapan, BN is no longer dominant in the Malaysian politics.
Johor: Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor Perikatan), in power from 1954 to 2018, defeated in 2018 election. Regained power in the wake of2020 Malaysian political crisis and won the2022 Johor state election.
Kedah: Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor Perikatan), in power from 1955 to 2008, defeated in 2008 election. Regained power in the 2013 state elections, but defeated again in the2018 election. Kelantan: Barisan Nasional, in power from 1978, when they won the1978 state election in Kelantan and governed in a coalition withBERJASA, until 1990, when BN were defeated inthat year's election.
Melaka: Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor Perikatan), in power from 1955 to 2018, defeated in 2018 election. Regained power in the wake of2020 Malaysian political crisis and won the2021 Melaka state election. Negeri Sembilan: Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor Perikatan), in power from 1955 to 2018, defeated in 2018 election. Currently BN is in a government coalition led byPakatan Harapan after the 2023 state election. Penang: Barisan Nasional, in power from 1974 to 2008 under main component party in PenangGerakan, defeated in 2008 election. Gerakan as a single party also won state election in 1969, winning it from BN predecessor Perikatan, who held power in the state from 1955.
Perak: Barisan Nasional, in power from 1974 to 2008, defeated in 2008 election. BN regained power in 2009 as a result of2009 Perak constitutional crisis, and won the 2013 Perak state election. BN would lose the Perak government again after defeat in the 2018 state election, but regained power in the wake of2020 Malaysian political crisis. Its predecessorPerikatan also held power from 1955 to 1969. Currently lead a coalition government withPakatan Harapan after the2022 Perak state election.
Perlis: Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor Perikatan), in power from 1955 to 2022, defeated in2022 election.[58]
Sabah: Barisan Nasional, in power from 1976 to 1985 (led by component partyBERJAYA), 1986 to 1990 (led by component partyPBS), and from 1994 to 2018 (led by component partyUMNO Sabah). Currently BN is in a coalition government withGabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), after the2020 Sabah state election. PBS also led the state government as a single party from 1985 to 1986, and as part ofGagasan Rakyat coalition from 1990 to 1994. Before BN,Perikatan Sabah (Sabah Alliance) holds power in Sabah from its independence in 1963 to 1976. Selangor: Barisan Nasional, in power from 1974 to 2008, defeated in 2008 election. Its predecessor Perikatan also held power from 1955 to 1969. Terengganu: Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor Perikatan), in power from 1955 to 2018, with exception to 1959–1961 and 1999–2004, when the state government were controlled byParti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS). Defeated in the2018 election.
Northern Cyprus: TheNational Unity Party governed from 1983 to 2005.
Philippines: TheNacionalista Party in thePhilippines was the dominant party during various times in the nation's history from1916–1941, and on1945. From1978 to1986Kilusang Bagong Lipunan operated as a dominant party.
Sri Lanka: TheUnited National Party from 1977 to 1994, and theSri Lanka Freedom Party from 1994 to 2015 (except for a brief interregnum from 2001 to 2004).
Syria: TheSyrian Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party ruled from 1963 to 2024, with nominal multi-party system from 2012.
Thailand: TheThai Rak Thai Party was the first political party to surpass the majority in theHouse of Representatives. During thegeneral election, it became a dominant party until acoup d'état ousted Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra and the dissolution of the House in 2006.
Yemen:General People's Congress, In power effectively from 1982 (1982–1990 sole legal party) to 2015, ceded effective control afterHouthi takeover of Sana'a.
Algeria: TheNational Liberation Front had governed Algeria from 1962 to 1992, from 1992 to 1994 (sole legal party 1962 to 1989), and from 1999 to 2019. The current president,Abdelmadjid Tebboune, is affiliated with FLN, but its partisan power is significantly weakened after the2021 parliamentary elections.
Botswana: TheBotswana Democratic Party governed the country for 58 years with consecutivemajority governments from independence in 1966 until2024.
Burkina Faso: TheCongress for Democracy and Progress from 1996 to 2014, underBlaise Compaoré, who ruled first as an independent after a coup from 1987 to 1989, then led theOrganization for Popular Democracy – Labour Movement from 1989 to 1996. Burundi:Union for National Progress (UPRONA) from 1962 to 1993 (from 1974 to 1992 as sole legal party).
Central African Republic: theMovement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa ruled from 1960 to 1981 (from 1962 to 1980 as sole legal party).
Chad:Patriotic Salvation Movement (Mouvement Patriotique de Salut de SMPS) governed from 1990 to 2021.
Egypt: TheNational Democratic Party (NDP) ofEgypt, under various names, from 1952 to 2011 (asArab Socialist Union, sole legal party 1953–1978)
The Gambia: ThePeople's Progressive Party in The Gambia from 1962 to 1994. TheAlliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction underYahya Jammeh from 1996 to 2017, with Jammeh ruling first under a Junta after acoup from 1994 to 1996.
Gabon: TheGabonese Democratic Party governed from independence in 1960 to 2023, ended with the2023 Gabonese coup.
Guinea-Bissau:African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) governed from 1974 to 1999 (from 1974 to 1991 as the sole legal party).
Ivory Coast:Democratic Party of Ivory Coast governed from 1960 to 1999 (from 1960 to 1990 as the sole legal party).
Kenya: TheKenya African National Union in Kenya from 1963 to 2002 (sole legal party 1982–1991).
Liberia:True Whig Party ruled consecutively from 1878 to 1980, in a de facto one-party state manner, though the country never explicitly banned opposition parties. Nigeria:People's Democratic Party (PDP) was in power from May 29, 1999, till May 29, 2015, when the opposition partyAll Progressives Congress (APC) won thepresidential election in 2015.
Rhodesia: TheRhodesian Front inRhodesia (nowZimbabwe), under the leadership ofIan Smith, from 1965 to 1980.
Senegal: TheSocialist Party in Senegal from 1960 to 2000 (sole legal party 1966–1974).
Seychelles:United Seychelles Party ruled from 1977 to 2020 (from 1977 to 1991 as sole legal party).
Sierra Leone: TheAll People's Congress Party ruled from 1968 to 1992 (from 1978 to 1991 as sole legal party).
South Africa: TheNational Party in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. TheAfrican National Congress (ANC) governed South Africa with consecutive majority governments from 1994 to 2024.
Sudan:National Congress from 1998 to 2019 (1998 to 2005 as sole legal party). Tanzania: Via Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) from 1961 with TANU name to present in 2024 no any other Political party have ever lead the country.
Tunisia: TheDemocratic Constitutional Rally in Tunisia, 1956–2011 (as the sole legal party between 1963 and 1981).
Zambia: TheMovement for Multiparty Democracy from 1991 to 2011. Australia: TheLiberal Party (generally in a near-permanentCoalition with theNational Party) held power federally from 1949 to 1972 and from 1975 to 1983 (31 out of 34 years). After the expiry of the 46th Parliament in 2022, theLiberal-National Coalition held power for 20 out of the 26 years between 1996 and 2022. Overall from 1949 to 2022, the Liberal Party held power for 52 out of 73 years. The longest-servingPrime Minister wasRobert Menzies, who served from 1939 to 1941 (2 years) as a member of theUnited Australia Party, and from 1949 to 1966 (16 years) as leader of the Liberal Party. The second longest-serving wasJohn Howard (Liberal Party), who was Prime Minister from 1996-2007 (11 years).
Northern Territory: TheCountry Liberal Party held power from the granting of self-government in 1978 to 2001 (23 years).
New South Wales: TheLabor Party held power from 1941 to 1965 (24 years), and from 1976 to 1988 and 1995 to 2011 (28 out of 35 years) – in total 52 out of 70 years from 1941 to 2011.
Queensland: TheLabor Party held power from 1915 to 1929 and from 1932 to 1957 (39 out of 42 years). TheNational Party then held power from 1957 to 1989 (32 years) with and without theLiberal Party. These were facilitated by a Labor-designed malapportionment that favoured rural districts. The National Party underJoh Bjelke-Petersen increased the malapportionment with theBjelkemander, allowing them to rule alone without the Liberals, and used the police to suppress dissent and opposition from Labor. The National Party dominance was ended by a corruption inquiry, Bjelke-Petersen was forced to resign in disgrace, and police and politicians were charged with crimes. Since 1989, Labor has held government aside from a National Party government (1996 to 1998) and Liberal-National Party government (2012 to 2015) (28 years of Labor government out of 33 years).
South Australia: TheLiberal and Country League held power from 1933 to 1965 (32 years) using theplaymander. TheLabor Party held power from 1970 to 1979, from 1982 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2018 (26 out of 38 years).
Tasmania: TheLabor Party held power from 1934 to 1969 and from 1972 to 1982 (45 out of 48 years), from 1989 to 1992, and from 1998 to 2014 (16 years) – in total 64 out of 80 years from 1934 to 2014.
Victoria: TheNational Citizens' Reform League (1902–1909), theDeakinite Liberal Party (1909–1917) and theNationalist Party (1917–1924) consecutively held power from 1902 to 1924 (22 years). TheCountry Party then ruled from 1924 to 1927 (3 years), followed by the Nationalist Party from 1928 to 1929 (1 year) in acoalition. The Country Party and theUnited Australia Party (later as theLiberal and Country Party) held power with and without a coalition from 1932 to 1945 (13 years) and 1947 to 1952 (5 years). The Liberal Party then held power from 1955 to 1982 (27 years). In total, centre-right governments ruled 71 out of 80 years from 1902 to 1982.
Western Australia: TheLiberal Party held power from 1947 to 1983 with two one-term interruptions between 1953 and 1956 and 1971 to 1974 (30 out of 36 years).
Australian Capital Territory: TheLabor Party has held power since 2001 (23 years as of 2024) (in coalition with theACT Greens since 2012), previously holding government between 1989 and 1995 (24 years out of 30 years since self-government).
New Zealand: TheLiberal Party governed from 1891 to 1912.
Samoa: TheHuman Rights Protection Party governed from 1982 to 2021.The Republicans had come to see themselves as the natural governing party of the United States. Leaving aside the Cleveland and Wilson accidents, they had been in power since Grant's day. If Republican delegates declared an uncharismatic Hoover worthy of the presidency, voters were unlikely to argue.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)Equatorial Guinea has been a dominant party state for decades, as the PDGE and the president's inner circle control the most important offices of the state, and all but one of the seats in the bicameral legislature.
SWAPO Party being the dominant party in Namibia seized legitimate political power and thereby ending colonial rule on 21 March 2000. SWAPO Party's growth as dominant party was as follows…