No confidence motions

In a deliberative assembly, a motion of no confidence is a motion declaring that a government or an officer, typically a government executive, is not fit to hold office. A vote on such a motion is a vote of no confidence; the corresponding inverses are a motion and vote of confidence. The no-confidence vote is a defining constitutional element of a parliamentary system (and derivatives such as the semi-presidential system), in which the mandate of the government or its officers relies on the continued support, or at least non-opposition, of the majority in the legislature. Systems differ in whether the motion may be directed against the prime minister, the government as a whole (whether majority, minority or coalition), individual cabinet ministers, the cabinet as a whole, or some combination of these. A censure motion is different from a no-confidence motion. In a parliamentary system, a vote of no confidence leads to the resignation of the prime minister and cabinet, or, depending on the constitutional procedure at hand, a snap election to potentially replace the government. A vote in favour of censure is a non-constitutionally-binding expression of disapproval; a motion of censure may be against an individual minister or a group of ministers. Depending on a country's constitution, a no-confidence motion may be directed against the entire cabinet. Depending on the applicable rules, a mover of a censure motion may need to state the reasons for the motion, but specific reasons may not be required for no-confidence motions. However, in some countries, especially those with uncodified constitutions, what constitutes a no-confidence vote sufficient to force the resignation of high officeholders may not be clear. Even if the government is not constitutionally bound to resign after losing a given vote, such a result may be taken as an ominous sign for the government and may prompt its resignation or the calling of a snap election. In addition to explicit motions of confidence and no-confidence, some bills (almost always the government budget and sometimes other key pieces of legislation) may be declared to be a confidence vote – that is, the vote on the bill is treated as a question of confidence in the government; a defeat of the bill expresses no confidence in the government and may cause the resignation of the prime minister and cabinet or the calling of an election.