Party-line vote


A party-line vote in a deliberative assembly is a vote in which a substantial majority of members of a political party vote the same way. The term implies that the decision is irrelevant to the merits of the issue at hand or the political beliefs of individual members, but instead is dictated by party policy.
Sources vary on what proportion of party members must adhere to the party line in order for the vote to constitute a "party-line" vote. For example, the Congressional Record has stated: "A party-line vote is one on which a majority of Republicans vote one way and a majority of Democrats vote another. 2. A bipartisan vote is one in which a majority of Republicans and a majority of Democrats vote the same way". Another source defined this event for purposes of classifying votes for research purposes as "one where 90 percent of the majority party votes against 90 percent of the minority party". Party-line votes are also noted to reflect the degree to which the division of power requires parties to retain cohesion in order to implement its goals:

The United States

In the United States Congress it is the function of the party whip of each party in each house to ensure that members adhere to party policies and in particular that members vote for or against bills, amendments, and for or against treaties and Administration appointments as determined by senior party leadership. The leverage available to the party whip may be in rewards, or in punishments. The ultimate threat is to support another candidate in the primary election with endorsements and party funds. The party whip will operate under the direction of the particular party's leader.