%0 Journal Article %T Party Government in Germany and Austria: A New Perspective from the Power Index Approach %A Alexander Preker %A Jan-Erik Lane %J International Journal of Social Science Studies %D 2013 %I %R 10.11114/ijsss.v1i1.50 %X Based on the Banzhaf-Coleman approach to the analysis of political power, this article presents a new analysis of government coalitions. The party systems and types of government formation in Germany and Austria can be compared over time in a new systematic way from 1920. The findings support the theory of democratic stability that emphasizes the power balance between the major right- and left-wing groups in the party system. It can be achieved either by power alternation or through consociationalism. %U http://redfame.com/journal/index.php/ijsss/article/view/50