positive parliamentarism

noun

A type of parliamentary government in which an incoming government must win affirmative parliamentary support, typically through an investiture vote, in order to take office.

Meanings

nounpositive parliamentarism (uncountable)

alternative positive parliamentarianism

  1. uncountablepolitical scienceA type of parliamentary government in which an incoming government must win affirmative parliamentary support, typically through an investiture vote, in order to take office.

    The distinction between ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ parliamentarism ... has gained a wide use.

    2024, Tom Louwerse, “Investiture and Removal of Governments: ‘Positive’ and ‘Negative’ Parliamentarism”, in New Developments in the Study of Coalition Governments (Studies in Public Choice), volume 9, →DOI
    2 more examples

    Under ‘positive’ parliamentarism, the government needs the active support of an absolute majority.

    2020, Johannes Lindvall and Hanna Bäck, “Sweden’s Parliamentary Democracy at 100”, in Parliamentary Affairs, volume 73, number 3, →DOI, pages 477–502

    Dutch councils work under a system of positive parliamentarism that closely mirrors parliamentary government at the national level.

    2025, Thijs Vos, Simon Otjes, Lianne van Kalken, and Geerten Boogaard, “Beyond coalition and opposition? The effect of councilwide agreements on legislative voting behaviour in Dutch municipalities”, in Swiss Political Science Review, volume 31, number 2, →DOI, pages 307–330

Origin

Translations

Danish positiv parlamentarisme
  • positiv parlamentarismeparliamentary system in which an incoming government must win affirmative parliamentary support
French parlementarisme positif
  • parlementarisme positifparliamentary system in which an incoming government must win affirmative parliamentary support
German positiver Parlamentarismus
  • positiver Parlamentarismusparliamentary system in which an incoming government must win affirmative parliamentary support
Norwegian Bokmål positiv parlamentarisme
  • positiv parlamentarismeparliamentary system in which an incoming government must win affirmative parliamentary support
Swedish positiv parlamentarism
  • positiv parlamentarismparliamentary system in which an incoming government must win affirmative parliamentary support
Cite this entry
APA

positive parliamentarism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/positive%20parliamentarism

MLA

“positive parliamentarism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/positive%20parliamentarism. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “positive parliamentarism,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/positive%20parliamentarism.

Source: positive parliamentarism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.