1. The Constitutional Bias of the Governmental System:

The difference between majoritarian democracy and consensus democracy lies in the constitutional bias of the governmental system. A majoritarian democracy is constitutionally biased toward quick decision-making and action by a democratically elected majority in the government. A consensus democracy is constitutionally biased toward operation of numerous checks and balances, making necessary delay and prolonged debate, deliberation, negotiation, bargaining, and compromise before the government can resolve highly controversial issues of public policy.

2. Majoritarian Democracy (uk):

The British system of government, a majoritarian democracy, operates on the principle of straight majority rule. The governmental system is geared for quick and easy political decision-making by a popular majority and its elected representatives in the government. The governmental system is geared for (1) quick decision-making and action by the voters in a single national election and (2) quick decision-making and action by a united, highly disciplined party majority in the legislature, led and managed by its legislative leadership group, which is also the top executive authority in the government.

In British elections, formation of an electoral coalition consisting of a national majority is generally a fairly easy and rapid process. That national majority coalition quickly and easily places its political leadership--i.e., its elected representatives--in complete control of the institutional machinery of authoritative decision-making and action on matters of national public policy, giving one political party (1) a clear majority of the seats in the lower, more powerful house of the national legislature and (2) the legitimate right to control the executive as well as legislative organs of government.

In short, the majority of the British voters, in a single national election, elect a majority of the members of the House of Commons, and the Commons majority, in effect, chooses the Prime Minister and other Cabinet members. The voters choose the lower and, more powerful chamber of Parliament, which, in turn, chooses the top executive authority, the Cabinet.

Since the House of Lords lacks authority to amend or veto a money bill and the House of Commons can easily override the Lords' amendment or veto of a non-money bill, the majority in the Commons can enact into law any measure it pleases, except, of course, to the extent it limits itself by observing the conventions of the Constitution. As long as the party majority in the House of Commons holds together and the party continues to be victorious in national elections, the party platform can, without difficulty, be translated into public policy.

In other words, a majority of the British voters, in a national election, gives its elected representatives and political leaders a clear and unambiguous mandate to govern, unimpeded by any need to negotiate, bargain, and compromise with elements of the minority party. The victorious, majority party is put in the position where it can take complete charge of the government, where the party can quickly and easily make and carry out the authoritative, binding decisions of government, exercising this political authority in the service of the interests, views, and ideology of the majority party and its supporters.

The positions of the majority and minority parties, however, can be quickly reversed. As the consequence of a single national election, complete control of the legislative and executive organs of British government could pass from the Labor Party, the current majority and ruling party, to the Conservative Party, which is the main opposition party at the present. One election could change the status of the Conservative Party from that of "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition" to that of the majority party, having obtained from the voters a clear and unambiguous mandate to govern British society, to take complete charge and exercise political authority in the service of the interests, views, and ideology of the new majority party and its supporters.

Most contemporary constitutional democracies are, in varying degrees, majoritarian democracies.