Hung Parliament
A parliament in which no single party wins an outright majority, making it impossible for any one party to govern alone.
Explanation
A hung parliament results when no party wins more than half the seats in a legislature. This is common in proportional representation systems, where multiple parties win seats and coalition-building is routine. In first-past-the-post systems (UK, Canada), hung parliaments are less expected but do occur. After a hung parliament, parties must negotiate to form either a formal coalition government or a confidence-and-supply arrangement. If no government can command a confidence majority, new elections are typically called. The UK experienced hung parliaments in 2010 (leading to a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition) and 2017 (a Conservative minority government with DUP support).
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