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Why are coalition governments sometimes less stable than single-party governments?

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A large crowd of Rwandan Patriotic Front supporters holds up red, white, and blue FPR flags and campaign posters at a political rally in Kayonza, Eastern Province. — political party Rwandan Patriotic Front political rally in Kayonza, Rwanda, August 2010.

Coalition governments are often less stable than single-party governments because they are inherently more heterogeneous, relying on a temporary alliance between different political parties to form a parliamentary majority.123

The stability of these governments depends heavily on the discipline and organization of the participating parties. When parties are flexible and lack strong internal discipline, the coalition is more likely to be weak and short-lived, as individual legislators may not consistently support the government's agenda. In contrast, single-party governments benefit from the predominance of one party, which provides a greater guarantee of continuity and effectiveness.243

Furthermore, the effectiveness of a coalition can be compromised by the need for constant negotiation and compromise among partners with potentially divergent interests. If the ties binding the coalition are weak, the government faces a higher risk of collapse, particularly when it must maintain a parliamentary majority to remain in power. While some systems mitigate this through bipolarized alliances—where parties align into two stable, opposing blocs—centrist coalitions can sometimes lead to political alienation and a lack of responsiveness to new ideas.23