One party dominance in democracy: widening the perspective on the regnancy of the National Party in South Africa

Abstract

Abstract The regnancy of the National Party tends principally to be seen as a unique and exceptional phenomenon. As regards its comprehension, there has been bare appreciation of relevant theory and practically no comparative perspective has been applied. The purpose of this paper is to consider the regnancy of the National Party from this wider perspective of comparative political typology. What the paper shows is that one party dominance in democracies is the rule rather than the exception. Further, it investigates general reasons that account for the generation of this type of party system and it finds that regnant parly systems are neither crisis‐produced nor related, that they arise from a political consensus on the part of legitimately contending parties and their constituencies, and that opposition parties are primarily responsible for the contrivance and ongoingness of regnant party systems. What emerges from this broader explanatory route, therefore, is a significantly different perception that challenges currently held views regarding the regnancy of the National Party.