Deferred Gratification and Minority Governments in Scandinavia

Abstract

Denmark, Norway, and Sweden share a record of frequent minority governments in the postwar period. Conventional explanations of minority government formation fail to account for this Scandinavian propensity. This article argues that the frequency of minority cabinets in Scandinavia can be explained as a rational response to a peculiar set of institutional conditions. Scandinavian party politics is characterized by (1) strongly organized and future-oriented parties, (2) decentralized and relatively nonhierarchical legislatures, where the opposition can be effective, and (3) competitive elections. These conditions induce political parties to defer the gratification of holding office and thus facilitate minority government formation.