Elective dictatorship

“Elective dictatorship”, also called “executive dominance” in political science, is a phrase describing the state in which a typical Westminster system state’s parliament, the legislative power, is dominated by the government of the day, the executive power. It refers to the fact that the legislative programme of Parliament is determined by the government, and government bills virtually always pass the legislature because of the nature of the majoritarian first-past-the-post electoral system, which almost always produces strong government, in combination with the imposition of party discipline on the governing party’s majority, which almost always ensures loyalty.