Causal Conditions of Lithuanian Government’s Stability

Abstract

This article presents the results of qualitative comparative analysis of such causal factors of Lithuanian government’s stability as decision-making model, role of political parties, government ideology and parliamentary majority. The basic source of the research was the interviews with ministers who have served in different cabinets. The cabinets led by Kazimiera Prunskienė, Gediminas Vagnorius, Adolfas Šleţevičius, Laurynas Mindaugas Stankevičius, Rolandas Paksas, Andrius Kubilius, Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas and Gediminas Kirkilas are analyzed in this article. The research showed that in most cases the governments, where decision-making model is monocratic and party influence in governmental decision-making process is weak; or those in which decision-making model is monocratic and which have support of the parliamentary majority, are stable. It was also revealed that a strong influence of ruling party (or parties) in the governmental decision-making process and the leftist ideology could lead to government stability. The governments might be classified into three homogeneous groups according to decision-making model, role of political parties in decision-making, ideology, size of parliamentary support and cabinet duration.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ppaa.11.1.1403