Nonpartisan system
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Much of the contents of this page were merged with Non-partisan_democracy.
A nonpartisan government is one with no official political parties. The government is called nonpartisan if
- the law does not permit political parties,
- government policies are decided by a direct democracy,
- officials are chosen in nonpartisan election, or
- no parties have arisen yet within a fledgling democracy.
A nonpartisan system differs from a single-party system in that the governing faction identifies itself as a party. A single-party government sometimes requires government officials to be members of the party, agree to a particular ideology, and may enforce its control over the government by making all other parties illegal. Members of a nonpartisan government may not share any ideologies. Various communist nations such as China or Cuba are single-party nations. Very few national governments are nonpartisan.
A direct democracy is usually nonpartisan since citizens vote on laws themselves rather than electing representatives.
Unless there are legal prohibitions against political parties, factions within nonpartisan governments generally evolve into political parties.
An absolute monarchy, such as Saudi Arabia, with no legislative branch, is not considered partisan or nonpartisan.
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[edit] Elections
In nonpartisan elections, each candidate for office runs on her or his own merits rather than as a member of a political party. No political affiliation (if it exists) is shown on the ballot next to a candidate. Generally, the winner is chosen from a runoff election where the candidates are the top two vote-getters from a primary election. In some elections, the candidates might be members of a national party, but do not run as party members for local office.
Nonpartisan elections are generally held for municipal and county offices, especially school board, and are also common in the election of judges. In some nonpartisan elections, it is common knowledge which candidates are members of and backed by which parties; in others, parties are almost wholly uninvolved and voters make choices with little or no regard to partisan considerations.
[edit] Legislatures
In nonpartisan legislatures, there are no typically formal party alignments within the legislature; even if there are caucuses for specific issues. Alliances and causes with a nonpartisan body are often temporary and fluid since legislators who oppose each other on some issues, may agree on other issues. Despite being nonpartisan, legislators typically have consistent and identifiable voting patterns. Decisions to investigate and enforce ethics violations by government officials are generally done on the basis of evidence instead of party affiliation. Committee chairs and other leaders within the legislature are often chosen for seniority and expertise, unlike the leaders in a partisan legislature who are often chosen because of loyalty to a party.
[edit] History
The democracy of Ancient Greece was a nonpartisan, direct democracy where eligible citizens voted on laws themselves rather than electing representatives.
Two Swiss Cantons are also nonpartisan, direct democracies.
Historians have frequently interpreted Federalist No. 10 to imply that the Founding Fathers of the United States intended the government to be nonpartisan. James Madison defined a faction as "a number of citizens, whether amounting to a minority or majority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community." As political parties had interests which were adverse to the rights of citizens and to the general welfare of the nation, several Founding Fathers preferred a nonpartisan form of government.
The administration of George Washington and the first few sessions of the US Congress were nonpartisan. Factions within the early US government coalesced into the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties. The Era of Good Feeling, when the Federalist party collapsed, leaving the Democratic-Republican party as the sole political faction, was the United States only experience with a single-party system.
The Non-Partisan League was an influential socialist political movement, especially in the Upper Midwest, particularly during the 1910s and 1920s. It also contributed much to the ideology of the former Progressive Party of Canada. It went into decline and merged with the Democratic Party of North Dakota in 1956.
[edit] Notes
Even though many countries have nation-wide political parties, their local governments may be nonpartisan. The unicameral legislature of Nebraska is the only nonpartisan state government body in the United States. Many county and city governments are nonpartisan.
In Canada, the governments of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are nonpartisan, being influenced on the consensus-based customs of the Inuit, First Nations, and Métis.
