22.

What is bi-party system? Examine the merits and demerits of this system. 

Bi - party system is a party system where two major political parties dominate the government. One of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is usually referred to as the majority or governing party while the other is the minority or opposition party.

Merits:

(i) Government becomes more stable: The Government is more stable in a bi-party system, because the party which has a majority in the legislature forms the Government and the other party acts as opposition. Coalition Governments are not formed in a bi-party system. If the ruling party loses the majority in the legislature, the Cabinet tenders its resignation. In such an eventuality, the opposition party forms the Government. It becomes the ruling party and the party which was hitherto for the ruling party, becomes the opposition party.

(ii) Direct Election of the Government: In the second system, the Government is elected by the people directly, because the voters know the party in whose favour they are casting their votes. Thus, the people vote for the party whom they wish to form a Government.

(iii) Formation of Government is easier: In this system, it becomes easy for the Head of the State to decide which party should be invited to form the Government. The Head of the State (President, King or Governor-General) invites the leader of the majority party to form the Government. In this way the majority party forms the Government. If the majority party loses the majority support in the legislature, the Head of the State invites the opposition party to form the Government.

(iv) It ensures a strong Government and continuity of Policy: Because of the stability of the Government in a bi-party system, ii is strong and it can pursued good policy continuously. In contrast to this, the cabinets change very often multi-party system. The Government becomes weak and there is no continuity in the policy. In a bi-party system, the Government is stable and it can formulate long term plans for the welfare of the people. It can also ensure its goodwill to foreign countries.

Demerits:

(i) Dictatorship of the Cabinet: In a bi-party system the dictatorship of the cabinet is established as in the case in England, because it has the majority support in the Parliament. In such a situation, the ruling party does not care much for the opposition.

(ii) Limited choice before the voters: When there are only two parties before the electorate, they have to elect one out of the two parties, even if they do not like both the parties. In this way, the electorate loses its freedom of choice. In case there are more than two parties, the choice for the voters becomes wide.

(iii) The Prestige of the legislature is lowered: In a bi-party system, the majority party supports the cabinet. The Prime Minister has a special influence over the Parliament because he is the leader of the House by virtue of his position as the leader of the majority party. With the help of his majority party he can get the Bills, budget, policies and treaties passed in the way he likes.

(iv) Dictatorship of the Majority Party: In this system the dictatorship of the majority party is established and it cares little for the opposition, because it enjoys a majority in the Parliament.