Dictionary

negative parliamentarism en · NOUN

Etymology

From negative + parliamentarism, in contrast with positive parliamentarism.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) A type of parliamentary government in which an incoming government may take office unless a parliamentary majority votes against it, rather than needing affirmative majority support at investiture.
   • The distinction between ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ parliamentarism, introduced by Bergman, has gained a wide use in the analysis of parliamentary politics and government formation. 2024, Tom Louwerse, “Investiture and Removal of Governments: ‘Positive’ and ‘Negative’ Parliamentarism”, in New Developments in the Study of Coalition Governments (Studies in Public Choice), volume 9, →DOI, pages 17–37:
   • That is, while in some parliamentary systems governments may form without the active support of parliament – this is known as negative parliamentarism – no parliamentary system exists where the government can survive against the will of parliament. 2023, Or Tuttnauer and Reuven Y. Hazan, “Government–Opposition Relations and the Vote of No-Confidence”, in Political Studies, volume 72, number 3, →DOI, pages 984–1004:
   • The most salient feature of negative parliamentarism is that the confidence relationship between the legislative and executive branches is weak. 2025, Jonas Stein and Bjørn Erik Rasch, “Executive–Legislative Relations: Negative Parliamentarism and Its Consequences for Governing Norway”, in The Oxford Handbook of Norwegian Politics, →DOI, pages 87–101:
   • More precisely, the principle of “negative parliamentarism” whereby a government cannot be formed or remain in power if a majority of Folketinget is against it. 2023, Mikkel Flohr, “The Populist Foundations of Democracy: A Conceptual History of “the People” [Folket] in the Constitutional Struggles in Denmark, 1830–1920”, in European Journal of Sociology / Archives Européennes de Sociologie, volume 65, number 1, →DOI:

Forms

Coordinates

positive parliamentarism

Translations (5)

da negativ parlamentarisme (parliamentary system in which an incoming government need only avoid majority opposition) · nb negativ parlamentarisme (parliamentary system in which an incoming government need only avoid majority opposition) · sv negativ parlamentarism (parliamentary system in which an incoming government need only avoid majority opposition) · fr parlementarisme négatif (parliamentary system in which an incoming government need only avoid majority opposition) · de negativer Parlamentarismus (parliamentary system in which an incoming government need only avoid majority opposition)