Under the Influence: Pay-Offs to Legislative Support Parties under Minority Governments

Abstract

Previous studies show that in multiparty systems the formation of minority governments can be a rational choice. To ensure survival and policy implementation, minority governments make concessions to non-cabinet parties. In this study, we empirically analyse the pay-offs given to support parties under minority governments. We argue that the content of support agreements is conditioned by support party type. Results are based on a two-stage empirical investigation: a text analysis of 10 explicit support arrangements for minority governments in Romania and a within-case comparison of two Romanian minority cabinets with different support arrangements. We employ an original data set of support agreements and elite interviews with former minority cabinet members. We empirically confirm that ethno-regional parties are mostly policy-seeking and target benefits for their specific groups. In contrast, mainstream parties make stronger claims for office distribution. The analysis challenges the widespread understanding that all support parties are mostly policy-seeking.

Government capacity, societal trust or party preferences: what accounts for the variety of national policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe?

“…Multiparty minority coalitions combine the challenges of both coalition and minority governments. At the same time, it should be noted that countries where coalition and minority cabinets are often found have established institutionalized mechanisms to mitigate the negative effects on the effectiveness of the policy making process (Anghel & Thürk, 2019;Klüver & Zubek, 2018). Some governments are 'caught' by the outbreak of the virus during a transitional period, during which a caretaker government with limited authority is in power.…”

Government Capacity, Societal Trust or Party Preferences? What Accounts for the Variety of National Policy Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Europe?

“…Multiparty minority coalitions combine the challenges of both coalition and minority governments. At the same time, it should be noted that countries where coalition and minority cabinets are often found have established institutionalized mechanisms to mitigate the negative effects on the effectiveness of the policy making process (Anghel and Thürk 2019;Klüver and Zubek 2018). Some governments are 'caught' by the outbreak of the virus during a transitional period, during which a caretaker government with limited authority is in power.…”

Timing in Opposition Party Support under Minority Government

“…For a minority government, a support agreement bears the advantage of a more secure bargaining situation but it also reduces its influence over policy (Strøm 1990, 108–9). An opposition party that has signed a support agreement, in turn, receives pay‐offs and furthers the party’s goals (Strøm 1990, 41; Anghel & Thürk 2021). Support parties can also present themselves as reliable cooperation partners, which may pave the way to even deeper cooperation and thus more policy influence in the future (Bale & Bergman 2006a, 206).…”