Chapter 85 Coalition Government

1. What is the origin of the term “coalition” and what does it mean technically?

2. How is coalition defined politically?

3. How is coalition politics or coalition government defined?

4. When do coalitions usually occur in modern parliaments?

5. What does coalition denote in terms of political parties and government formation?

6. How is a coalition formed in a multi-party government?

7. What are the key features or implications of coalition politics or coalition government, as summarized by J.C. Johari?

8. When did the Congress party secure the required majority to form the government at the Centre in the first four Lok Sabha elections?

9. What happened after the Congress party split in 1969 regarding government formation?

10. When did the Congress party again form a single-party government?

11. When was the Janata Party coalition formed, and who was the Prime Minister?

12. Who were the partners in the Janata Party coalition (1977–1979)?

13. When was the Janata Party (Secular) coalition formed, and who was the Prime Minister?

14. Who supported the Janata Party (Secular) coalition from outside?

15. When was the National Front coalition formed, and who was the Prime Minister?

16. Who supported the National Front coalition from outside?

17. When was the Janata Dal (Socialist) or Samajwadi Janata Party coalition formed, and who was the Prime Minister?

18. Who supported the Janata Dal (Socialist) or Samajwadi Janata Party coalition from outside?

19. When was the United Front coalition formed (first instance), and who was the Prime Minister?

20. Who supported the United Front coalition (first instance) from outside?

21. When was the United Front coalition formed (second instance), and who was the Prime Minister?

22. Who supported the United Front coalition (second instance) from outside?

23. When was the BJP-led Coalition formed, and who was the Prime Minister?

24. Who supported the BJP-led Coalition from outside?

25. When was the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) formed (first instance), and who was the Prime Minister?

26. When was the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) formed (first instance), and who was the Prime Minister?

27. Who supported the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) from outside?

28. When was the United Progressive Alliance-II (UPA-II) formed, and who was the Prime Minister?

29. When was the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) formed (second instance), and who was the Prime Minister?

30. Which party left the NDA in 2018?

31. When was the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) formed (third instance), and who was the Prime Minister?

32. Which parties left the NDA in 2019 and 2020 respectively?

33. What is one of the advantages of coalition governments regarding diverse interests?

34. How do coalition governments reflect the diversity of India?

35. How do coalition governments contribute to consensus-based politics?

36. How do coalition governments strengthen the federal fabric of the Indian political system?

37. How do coalition governments reduce the tyranny of government?

38. What is a major disadvantage of coalition governments regarding stability?

39. How is the leadership of the Prime Minister curtailed in a coalition government?

40. What body often undermines the role of the cabinet in coalition governments?

41. What is a potential problem with smaller constituents of a coalition government?

42. How do leaders of regional parties influence national decision-making in coalition governments?

43. What is a common characteristic of the size of the Council of Ministers in a coalition government?

44. What problems does a large Council of Ministers create?

45. How do members of coalition governments often avoid responsibility for administrative failures?

46. What is the source of K.K. Ghai’s work on Indian Government and Politics, as per footnote 1?

47. What is the source of D. Robertson’s work on The Penguin Dictionary of Politics, as per footnote 2?

48. What is the source of F.A. Ogg’s work on Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, as per footnote 3?

49. What is the source of N.C. Sahni’s work on Coalition Politics in India, as per footnote 4?

50. What is the source of J.C. Johari’s work on Reflections on Indian Politics, as per footnote 5?

51. What is the source of the information on the formation of coalition governments, as per footnote 6?