There is a fundamental problem with the democratic process in Canada. This problem is rooted within our electoral system. However, there is a promising solution to this issue. Canada should adopt the mixed-member proportional representation electoral system (MMP) at the federal level if we wish to see the progression of modern democracy. The failure to do so will result in a stagnant political system that is caught in the past and unable to rise to the contemporary challenges that representative democracies face. If Canada chooses to embrace the MMP electoral system it will reap the benefits of greater proportionality, prevent the centralization of power that is occurring in Parliament and among political parties through an increased emphasis on cooperation, and the government will attain greater legitimacy with the ability to positively influence the representation of minority groups.
Canada’s current electoral system is referred to as single-member plurality (SMP), or first-past-the-post (FPTP). The structure is fairly simple. One candidate is elected in each of the 308 ridings across the country. The candidate that receives the most votes in each riding wins (Law Commission 2). No majority of votes is necessary, securing a plurality of votes provides the winning candidate with one-hundred percent of the representation in their constituency. A report prepared by the Law Commission of Canada, with assistance from professionals in a number of fields, such as the esteemed political scientist Dr. Paul Nesbitt-Larking, took on the task of analyzing possible paths of electoral reform. It concluded that Canada’s political, cultural and economic reality has changed substantially since Confederation, and that adding an eleme...
... middle of paper ...
...MP and the Constitution." New Zealand Journal of Political and International Law 7.1 (2009): 111-134. Hein Online. Web. 16 Mar. 2012.
Karp, Jeffrey A., and Susan A. Banducci. " Political Efficacy and Participation in Twenty-Seven Democracies: How Electoral Systems Shape Political Behaviour." British Journal of Political Science 38 (2008): 311-334. Cambridge Journals. Web. 16 Mar. 2012.
Law Commission of Canada. Voting Counts: Electoral Reform in Canada (2004). Web. 15 Mar 2012.
Tanguay, Brian, and Steven Bittle. "Parliament as a Mirror to the Nation: Promoting Diversity in Representation through Electoral Reform." Canadian Issues (2005): 61-63. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.
"Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums." Elections Canada On-line. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. .
One may be surprised to learn that the turnout rate of individuals voting in Canada's federal elections has never reached 80% (Elections Canada). In fact, it has been decreasing since the middle of the twentieth century, as shown by an increase in voter apathy. An electoral system is designed to provide those who live in democratic governments with the opportunity to vote – in an election – for the candidate whose platform coincides with their political beliefs. This can be achieved through a direct democracy, where citizens are directly involved in the decision-making process, or through an indirect democracy, where citizens elect a delegate to act on their behalf. In a direct democracy, all citizens would be present during governmental meetings and have the opportunity to give verbal input. As one may expect, this would be extremely difficult to coordinate with Canada's population of 34.88 billion (Statistics Canada). Canada uses an indirect democracy, which allows for two basic forms of electoral systems in which representatives are elected. In the simple plurality electoral system, the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes is elected, regardless of a majority or not. It is commonly known as the “first-past-the-post” system, which alludes to a horse race; the winner passes the post with the highest number of votes, and only need to garner more votes than their opponents. The successful candidate wins all the seats in their riding or constituency while the candidates who places second or third will receive no seats, regardless of how many votes they lose by. Proportional representation is the second form of electoral system used in Canada; the percentage of the votes received by a party is proportionate to the numb...
Policy-makers are not bound by citizen’s opinions ¬– unless it is a binding referenda – and yet public participation is said to help “reverse the growing democratic deficit, foster citizenship and community capacity, and promote responsive and effective policy decisions” (Woodford and Preston 346). These “improvements,” in practice, raises a larger question: should Members of Parliament be voting in accordance with party politics or those of their constituents? Since the effective inclusion of citizens opinions “requires that public administrators and policy makers be committed to genuinely considering [this] input in policy analysis and decision-making” (347). Without a commitment to the collective voice, citizens may not be any better off. This calls into question whether a decrease in voter turn out is associated with the lack of influence citizens feel they really have in policy-making and the larger Canadian picture.
The contentious little book titled Women, Power, Politics maintains politics to be devalued, acknowledging the fact that only few people do vote, and women are unable to achieve within the realm of Canadian politics. Sylvia Bashevkin, the author of the book argues that Canadians have a profound unease with women in positions of political authority, what she calls the "women plus power equals discomfort" equation. She evaluates a range of barriers faced by women who enter politics, including the media's biased role of representing the private lives of women in politics, and she wonders why citizens find politics is underrepresented in Canada compared to Belgium. In clear, accessible terms, Bashevkin explains her ideas on how to eliminate “low voters turn-out,” “devaluation of politics,” "gender schemas," and "media framing.” She outlines some compelling solutions to address the stalemate facing women in Canadian politics which are; contesting media portrayals, changing the rule of the game, improving legislative quotas, electoral reform, movement renewals, and so on. This response paper would addresses the reality of a political mainstream, actions which should be taken against the oppressive elements of reality, and the awareness it brings through economic, social, and political environment.
Milner, Henry. First Past the Post? Progress Report on Electoral Reform Initiatives in Canadian Provinces. Ottawa: Institute for Research and Public Policy, 5(9), 2004.
The single member plurality system, more specifically the first past the post system (FPTP), is an electoral process most commonly used in Canadian for both federal and provincial elections. Throughout the years it has been the preferred method of national elections. However, there have been political debates as to whether Canada should undergo electoral reform. Many argue that the current SMP system does not accurately represent the interests of the citizens, and therefore should be reformed to an alternate voting method. There are both strengths and weaknesses associated with this particular system, however many believe that Canada is in great need of a electoral system that can accurately represent the concerns of all, supporting voter equality. In comparison, an alternate electoral system, known as proportional representation, will be analyzed. This system is very popular in a number of democratic nations, and is argued to be the preferable system to SMP in regards to Canadian elections. Thus, this paper will determine if the current electoral process is best for Canada by comparing and analyzing both single member plurality and proportional representation electoral systems. This following essay will discuss the benefits of the single member plurality in Canadian elections and also address its impacts on government, politics, and the national party system. Following the examination of the SMP system, a similar analysis of proportional representation (PR) and its effect in Canadian politics will also be provided to determine which electoral process is most advantageous for Canada. Thus, this paper will argue that proportional representation is potential...
Democracy is defined as government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system (Democracy, n.d.). Canadians generally pride themselves in being able to call this democratic nation home, however is our electoral system reflective of this belief? Canada is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy that has been adopted from the British system. Few amendments have been made since its creation, which has left our modern nation with an archaic system that fails to represent the opinions of citizens. Canada’s current “first-past-the-post” (FPTP) system continues to elect “false majorities” which are not representative of the actual percentage of votes cast. Upon closer examination of the current system, it appears that there are a number of discrepancies between our electoral system and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Other nations provide Canada with excellent examples of electoral systems that more accurately represent the opinions of voters, such as proportional representation. This is a system of voting that allocates seats to a political party based on the percentage of votes cast for that party nationwide. Canada’s current system of voting is undemocratic because it fails to accurately translate the percentage of votes cast to the number of seats won by each party, therefore we should adopt a mixed member proportional representation system to ensure our elections remain democratic.
Pammett, Jon, and Lawrence LeDuc. 2003. Explaining the Turnout Decline in Canadian Federal Elections: A New Survey of Non-Voters. Ottawa: Elections Canada.
Proportional representation system is an alternative voting system that Canada should really consider as it would be beneficial. Proportional system is a type of electoral system that produces a representative body which ensures that the voters are represented in the body according to how they voted (“Fair Vote Canada”, n.d). This voting system places more importance on creating an electoral result of votes corresponding with the amount of votes that were awarded in the legislature (“Canada in Comparative Perspective”, 2017, pg. 188). This is different from the First Past the Post voting system, where the candidate with the most votes doesn't always win and isn't always represented properly. According to Johnston (2001), this system presents
... idea of Parliamentary Sovereignty: The Controlling Factor of Legality in the British Constitution’ (2008) OJLS 709.
The role of senators in Canada is a widely debated topic in Canadian politics. Because it is one of the original chambers founded in Confederation, it has an extensive historical founding. That being said, the role of a senator has not changed much since then. In addition, the effectiveness of senatorial policies has wavered over time, but the systems within the Senate remain unchanged. What has changed, however, is the world surrounding the Senate. As Canada continues to grow and develop as a nation, the Senate has remained a constant in an ever-changing country. his paper will view the role of the senate and the general influence over policy changes through history from confederation to modern times. This paper will assess the changes in
Many political groups are considering in adapting Proportional Representations, however, many political groups aren’t fully aware of the consequences it may come with. Proportional Representation is the voting system where the percentage of votes a party gets is the number of seats they get, it is a system designed to give representatives the same amount of seats as the percentage of votes they received (What is Proportional Representation? (n.d.). Retrieved November 05, 2017). Many disadvantages and challenges may arise if Canada decides to have Proportional Representations in the political system, which is a recipe for disaster. The size of the population in a country plays a significant role in the political
There are three types of electoral systems that are generally used around the world. Majority electoral systems, plurality electoral systems, and proportional representation. The party list system, a sub category of proportional representation has long been assessed and analyzed by a number of groups to identify whether it has the potential to be successful. In particular, since its introduction in the 1850’s the single non-transferable vote or SNTV is one particular electoral system that has been evaluated. SNTV is a system that is utilized for use in multi-member elections and can be used for both provincial and legislative systems. Through a careful investigation it can be seen that SNTV is similar in many aspects to other electoral systems and in which ways politicians politick. Yet, SNTV also influences some different types of politicking by politicians as a result of the way in which votes are tallied.
On one hand, political constitutionalists argue that parliamentary sovereignty is the underlying principle in the British constitution as power and law making are bo...
In conclusion, MMP has completely redefined the process of government formation. With the flourish of small parties, a diverse spectrum of political opinions is frequently voiced in Parliament. Due to its entailment for parties to compete for every single vote, MMP also terminated the history of under-representation of women, ethnic minorities and special interest groups. It is fair to say, an epoch marked by social and political parliamentary diversity has began.
Canada’s current electoral system is based on a plurality voting system also known as “First Past the Post.” The candidate in each constituency that wins with the most votes wins a seat in the House of Commons. There have been many ongoing debates about this system and although there are many advantages that come with it, the disadvantages still outweigh them. One major advantage of the current system is that it is easy to understand. It is a simple method for the voters since all they have to do is mark a single check mark next to their preferred candidate. Also, it is simple to make a record of the results. First Past the Post is also thought to be a fair system, however, it is not proportional and excludes smaller parties. Members can also