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Landslide Victory




In Politics , a landslide victory (or just a '''landslide''') is the victory of a candidate or Political Party by an overwhelming majority in an Election .

Landslides can occur when one candidate or party is perceived as far superior to its opponents, through unfair elections, or as a result of particular voting systems which may produce distorted or disproportionate results.

The opposite of a landslide is a Wipeout .
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EXAMPLES


Canada



France



Hong Kong

  • The and the Meeting Point , together with other smaller parties, groups and independents in the Pro-democracy Camp , getting 17 of the 18 geographical constituency seats.

  • The , together with other smaller parties, groups and independents in the Pro-democracy Camp , getting 17 of the 20 geographical constituency seats.



United Kingdom

In general, any British general election which results in a majority of over 100 seats tends to be described as a landslide. Landslide victories since the Reform Act 1884 (the first time a majority of adult males could vote) are:

  • The and Liberal Unionist Party ) overall majority of 116

  • The 1900 Election : Unionist overall majority of 134

  • The 1895 Election : Unionist overall majority of 152

  • The overall majority of 128 (356 when assuming Labour and Irish Nationalist support)

  • The overall majority of 239

  • The 1924 Election : Conservative overall majority of 209

  • The overall majority of 493 (including Conservative majority of 324)

  • The overall majority of 146

  • The 1959 Election : Conservative overall majority of 100

  • The 1966 Election : Labour overall majority of 98

  • The 1983 Election : Conservative overall majority of 144

  • The 1987 Election : Conservative overall majority of 102

  • The 1997 Election : Labour overall majority of 179


Labour 's General Election Victory in 2001 with an overall majority of 167 was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media. Though the Government did score a very high majority, public interest in the election was not excited and, unlike most of the landslide results listed above, there was little change from the previous election and no change of governing party.

Landslides are relatively common in British electoral history, and this is partly as a result of the First-past-the-post electoral system. Relatively small differences in numbers of popular votes cast be amplified by the eventual result. For instance, Labour achieved a 66-seat majority in the 2005 Election despite securing only 35% of the vote. Conversely, parties can poll very highly and achieve disproportionately low numbers of MPs. For example, the Conservatives (led by John Major ) polled the greatest number of votes in British history in the 1992 Election , but were returned with a slender overall majority of just 21.


United States


Popular votes




Electoral votes



=The four greatest modern landslides in the United States Presidential elections

  • 1920 - the greatest percentage point margin in the popular vote (Harding 60.3% to Cox 34.1%).

  • 1936 - the greatest electoral votes difference between winner and opponent (Roosevelt 523 to Landon 8).

  • 1964 - the highest percentage for winner (Lyndon Johnson 61.1%).

  • 1984 - the highest number of electoral votes (Reagan 525).