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Multiparty System
Unlike the two-party approach practiced in the United States and Great Britain, a multiparty system exists when a government's legislature consists of three or more political parties. The multiparty system currently exists in some Asian, European, and Latin American nations. Shifting coalitions and alliances are commonly formed in an effort to have political objectives met. Advocates of the multiparty system stress how coalition building encourages compromise in policy making and representation of minority voters. Critics point out that multiparty systems can be unstable and legislation in such systems more difficult to get passed, especially in a timely manner. Double and multiparty systems are often associated with democracies and single party systems with dictatorships.