monipuoluejärjestelmälle

A multiparty system is a political system in which multiple political parties across the political spectrum run for national election, and all have the capacity to gain control of government offices, separately or in coalition. It is contrasted with a two-party system in which, typically, only two parties have a realistic chance of gaining power, and a one-party system in which only one party is legally allowed to exist or hold power.

In a multiparty system, no single party is guaranteed to win an election outright, leading to the formation of coalition governments. This means that parties must negotiate and cooperate to form a government, which can lead to more diverse representation and policy outcomes. The number of parties in a multiparty system can vary widely, from three or four to many more.

Multiparty systems are common in parliamentary democracies around the world. They are often seen as more representative of a diverse electorate than two-party systems, as they allow for a wider range of ideologies and interests to be expressed through political parties. However, they can also lead to political instability if coalition governments are difficult to form or maintain, or if there is a high degree of ideological fragmentation. The electoral system plays a significant role in the nature and number of parties that emerge in a multiparty system, with proportional representation systems generally encouraging a greater number of parties compared to first-past-the-post systems.