Major party

A major party is a political party that holds substantial influence in a country's politics. This is in contrast with a minor party.

Definition according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Major party: a political party having electoral strength sufficient to permit it to win control of a government usually with comparative regularity and when defeated to constitute the principal opposition to the party in power.

— Merriam-Webster Dictionary online

Major parties hold a significant percentage of the vote in elections, have more members and memberships than minor parties. In the United States, the major parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, which get over 90% of the total popular vote in elections. Major parties have the most donors, support networks and funding for elections. Their candidates for political positions are closely watched since they have the highest chance of being voted for office because of the high membership, recognition and donations that these parties are able to generate.

An example of a major party in the United Kingdom for instance is the Labour Party that former prime minister Tony Blair is from. The other major party in the United Kingdom is the Conservative Party.

In Australia the major parties are the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party of Australia. Federally (and in New South Wales) the Liberal Party of Australia is in coalition with the Nationals.

Two major parties can lead to a two-party system. If there is only one major party, then it is a dominant-party system. In a multi-party system, a major party is one that occasionally controls the presidency or premiership and is the most influential party in a coalition government. In some single-party systems, there are minor parties that are allowed to exist but are permanently locked into a coalition with the ruling party.

See also

• Minor party