Coalition Government

Explanation

A coalition government is formed when no single party wins enough seats to govern alone and two or more parties negotiate an agreement to share cabinet positions and policy commitments. Coalition governments are the norm in countries with proportional representation — Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Israel almost always have coalition governments. Coalition negotiations can take weeks or months (Belgium holds the record at 541 days in 2010-11). Coalition partners must balance their own policy agendas with the need to maintain government stability. Junior coalition partners often face an electoral dilemma: they get some policy influence but risk losing their distinct identity.