Question

Why is party discipline so important in a parliamentary political regime?

Answer 1

With rare exceptions, the practice of party discipline means that members of the same party vote together in Parliament. Since the emergence of structured political parties in the late 19th century, party discipline in some form has been an essential feature of the political landscape.

The practice of party discipline serves two purposes:

• it ensures that the government and opposition sides in Parliament are clearly demarcated; and
• it provides a degree of ideological certainty on which the voter can rely.

People vote, in part at least, for a party on the basis of its platform, which they expect the party and its members to follow. In this regard, the interests of individual MPs and of the parties to which they belong largely coincide. Parties rely on the concerted action of their elected members to fulfil their electoral promises. For their part, individual members benefit from their party affiliation during elections.

Party discipline requires balancing two opposing principles. On the one hand, members must act in concert if there are to be identifiable government and opposition sides in a debate, and some integrity and consistency of viewpoints within each party. On the other hand, individual MPs have a responsibility to give voice to the wishes of their constituents while also remaining faithful to their own political and moral principles.