Premium Essay

Essay On Canadian Electoral System

Submitted By
Words 1523
Pages 7
The standing Canadian electoral system is called the “first past the post” system, which consists of a practice where the candidates of certain parties run, and if elected they win a seat in the house of commons, where they represent their riding. The party with the most seats, and majority vote are appointed by the Governor General to run the Canadian Government. However, simple this process may seem to some people, there is actually more going on behind the scenes, which arises some important questions that we believe Canadians should be informed about. The questions include, how democratic Canada’s electoral system is, what other types of electoral mechanisms are possible, if the current system is the best for the Canadian context, and why or why not, and finally, what type of system the Prime Minister is likely to recommend.

The first question we will look at answering is how democratic the Canadian electoral system is, and the …show more content…
Perhaps in the future, we are looking at a potential change for the system, which is now in control of the man who hypothesized a change early on, or maybe we will continue this system, but the fact remains that there are flaws to the system. No matter what system we acquire soon enough, it will result in other issues, the political system as a whole will struggle to find an electoral system that satisfies the needs of voters and others alike. As we mentioned above, this system is the best for Canada, for the reason that we have not found a better alternative with as much evidence to reinforce as our history provides for the current system. Where we are now, is where we have been for history and history serves as a reminder of the system’s success, which is where we should hold

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Aboriginal Representation In Canada

...Historically, Canada’s aboriginal populations have been poorly represented within the Canadian political system (Dhillon, 2005; Paul, 2005). Over several decades, many initiatives to help increase representation have been presented. These proposals continue to fail at the hands of either the members of parliament or the Canadian people. Firstly, this paper will explore a sample of past initiatives aimed at enlarging aboriginal populations’ presence namely, First Nations peoples, within the Canadian political system. Secondly, an explanations for why, despite a push for equality, these populations continue to be underrepresented will be provided. Lastly, this paper will look to the future and identify the benefits of equal aboriginal representation...

Words: 1137 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Life

...(1998), XLVI, 572±588 Parties, Party Systems, and Satisfaction with Democratic Performance in The New Europe CHRISTOPHER J. ANDERSON1 Introduction Political parties and the party systems they form constitute the major channels of interest aggregation and citizen input in contemporary democracies. They are the vehicles through which political elites supply policy alternatives, and they constitute the major route for citizens to organize the demand for such alternatives.2 Parties also play a crucial role in the nature of democratic governance because they help legitimize the state. After all, free and fair elections in which parties compete for oce are a prime criterion for whether a system should be considered a democracy in the ®rst place. Outside of elections, political parties also have long been the most important mediating institutions between citizens and the state, in particular as parties have taken on the roles as simultaneous agents both of the state and its citizens.3 While virtually all democracies have political parties that compete for oce, political systems di€er in a number of important ways with regard to how they go about channeling inputs or providing policy alternatives, and with regard to the roles they assign parties in this process. Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, the ways in which political institutions condition the formation, functioning, and development of political parties and party systems varies as well. While there is an...

Words: 8246 - Pages: 33

Free Essay

Canada Pest

...PEST Analysis Political Canada is a democratic system with a parliament government. Canada’s system was adopted in 1848 and derives from that of the United Kingdom’s Parliament. Stephen Harper has served as Canadian Prime Minister since February 6th, 2006. Canada’s parliament has three distinct elements: the Crown, Senate and House of Commons. The Senate serves as the upper-chamber while the House of Commons serves as the lower-chamber. The members of the House of Commons are elected from their corresponding electoral district by receiving the largest number of votes. While Canada has many political parties, the most dominant are the Conservative Party of Canada and the Liberal Party of Canada. From 1996-2013, The World Bank rates Canada’s political stability at an average value of 1.01. As of 2011, they ranked 27th in the world and 5th in the North America at 1.06 behind Aruba, Barbados, Dominica and the Bahamas respectively. Contrary to popular belief, freedom of speech in Canada is not considered absolute. Under Section 1 of the Constitution Act of 1982, freedom of speech is given to Canadian citizens within certain limits. Although individuals have freedom of speech, it is not given freely of Government ramifications. In regards to foreign investors, Canada has a wealth of opportunity for global business. Canada offers a low tax establishment with corporate tax rates 13% below that of the United States. At a Federal corporate income tax rate of 16.5% and plans to reduce...

Words: 1302 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Apush

...APUSH Study Guide 8 A weak Confederacy and the Constitution, 1776-1790 Themes/Constructs: The federal Constitution represented a moderately conservative reaction against the democratilizing effects of the Revolution and the Articles of Confederation. The American Revolution was not a radical transformation like the French or Russian revolutions, but it produced political innovations and some social change in the direction of greater equality and democracy. The American Revolution did not overturn the social order, but it did produce substantial changes in social customs, political institutions, and ideas about society and government. Among the changes were the separation of church and state in some places, the abolition of slavery in the North, written political constitutions, and a shift in political power from the eastern seaboard toward the frontier. The first weak government, the Articles of Confederation, was unable to exercise real authority, although it did successfully deal with the western lands issue. The Confederation’s weakness in handling foreign policy, commerce and the Shays Rebellion spurred the movement to alter the Articles. Instead of revising the Articles, the well-off delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a charter for a whole new government. In a series of compromises, the convention produced a plan that provided for a vigorous central government, a strong executive, the protection for property, while still upholding republican...

Words: 3481 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Pol 1025

...In any political system are structures that have different functions to ensure an effective and smooth running of things in that particular political system. This is why this essay will discuss the problems faced by opposition political parties in Zambia using the structural functionalist theory. First it will explain what structural functionalism is, then it will define structures, functions, a political party and an opposition party then before giving the conclusion it will discuss the problems faced by opposition parties in Zambia. Johari (2011) defines structural functionalism as a means of explaining what political structures perform what basic functions in a political system, it is a tool of investigation. Macions and Gerber (2010:14) states “this approach looks at society through a macro-level orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole and by this society evolves like organisms”. According to Johari (2011:73) “functions deal with the consequences involving objectives as well as processes of the patterns of action, Structures refer to those arrangements within the system which perform the functions. For example the police are a structure within the political system that have a function of maintaining peace and order. “In the concept of functions, three basic questions are involved- what basic functions are discharged in any given system, by what instruments those functions are performed and under what conditions the performance...

Words: 1786 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Economic

...APPENDIX 1 INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS IN FEDERAL SYSTEMS  INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS IN FEDERAL SYSTEMS 1 Introduction 1 2 FEDERAL SYSTEMS 3 3 WHAT ARE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS? 4 4 AUSTRALIA’S FEDERATION – HOW IS IT OPERATING? 5 5 INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS 8 6 INTERNATIONAL FEDERAL SYSTEMS: A BRIEF OVERVIEW 9 7 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 PRINCIPLES OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS EFFECTIVENESS TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY EFFICIENCY INDEPENDENCE 11 11 33 34 37 40 8 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 INTERGOVERNMENTAL FISCAL ARRANGEMENTS REVENUE RAISING SPENDING FISCAL EQUALISATION MONITORING POLICY 43 43 51 55 56 57 9 CONCLUSION 59 INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS IN FEDERAL SYSTEMS INTRODUCTION 1| INTRODUCTION Australia, like many other systems of government around the world, is a federal system. Federations, while divided into different levels of government inevitably have a degree of interdependency between governments. Inescapably there arises a degree of conflict or ineffective governance. For example, disputes may arise between different governments on the basis of service provision or infrastructure, constitutional jurisdiction, fiscal arrangements (e.g. vertical fiscal imbalance or spending powers) or environmental or social issues. Most federations have developed a system of intergovernmental consultation and cooperation...

Words: 23183 - Pages: 93

Premium Essay

Public Law

...(The House of Lords: Completing the Reform 2001). Consider the political and legal reasons as to why, some 13 years after stage 1 of House of Lords reform (the House of Lords Act 1999), Parliament has only now started to consider Stage 2 legislation (House of Lords Reform Bill 2012). Abstract During the past 100 years, the British government has never ceased trying to bring democracy to the House of Lords. However, having examined the reform history, one could conclude that all the reforms proposed after 1999 are not carried out as planned. This essay, therefore, attempts to provide descriptions on the major reforms of Lords proposed or implemented since 1911. It will focus particularly on discussing the main political and legal difficulties on the incompletion of reform of Lords since 1999. 1. Introduction The House of Lords has long been known as a historical curiosity of this country. Together with the Canadian Senate, the chamber remains one of the only two unelected second chambers in the modern and major democracies. Owing to the undemocratic composition of the Lords, it was reluctant to utilize its legitimate powers in the 20th century for which some local political scholars described as having ‘a little public profile but no actual power’ , while others commented that the extremely feeble bicameralism in this country had been shading into unicameralism. Indeed, during the past 100 years, the British government has never ceased trying to bring democracy to...

Words: 6234 - Pages: 25

Premium Essay

Pols Final Exam Review

...sure you understand each of these topics before proceeding to the test. The exam will be timed so you will not have the ability to peruse your notes or retake the exam. The exam itself will consist of 30 multiple choice questions and you will have 35 minutes to complete the exam. Federalism: The Basic elements of a Federal system of government (i.e. how is it structured/how power is shared) • Layers of gov • Equal power • Distinct powers Powers of the federal government: delegated powers, implied powers (necessary and proper clause), and concurrent powers. • Delegated Powers: (expressed/enumerated powers) powers given to the federal government directly by the constitution. Some most important delegated powers are: the authority to tax, regulated interstate commerce, authority to declare war, and grants the president role of commander and chief of the military • Implied Powers: Powers not expressed in the constitution, but that can be inferred. “Necessary and proper clause” • Concurrent powers: powers shared by both levels of government. Ex: Taxes, roads, elections, commerce, establishing courts and a judicial system • Reserved powers: powers not assigned by the constitution to the national government but left to the states or the people. Guaranteed by the 10th amendment. Include “police power”-health and public welfare, intra-state commerce. Example of police powers: Gonzales vs Raich (2005) and California Medical Marijuana. The parts...

Words: 37488 - Pages: 150

Premium Essay

The Impact of Fiscal Decentralization Inflant

...Recovery ......................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Evidence........................................................................................................................................... 3 3 FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PERFORMANCE OF DECENTRALIZED SERVICE PROVISION...................................................................................5 3.1 The Political Framework................................................................................................................ 5 3.1.a Constitution and Legal Framework......................................................................................... 5 3.1.b Political and Electoral Systems ............................................................................................... 6 3.1.c Unitary vs. Federal...

Words: 15520 - Pages: 63

Premium Essay

Universal Adult Suffrage

...The campaign for suffrage - a historical background Today, all British citizens over the age of eighteen share a fundamental human right: the right to vote and to have a voice in the democratic process. But this right is only the result of a hard fought battle. The suffrage campaigners of the nineteenth and early twentieth century struggled against opposition from both parliament and the general public to eventually gain the vote for the entire British population in 1928. ------------------------------------------------- Who took part in the campaign? The first women's suffrage bill came before parliament in 1870. Soon after its defeat, in 1897, various local and national suffrage organisations came together under the banner of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) specifically to campaign for the vote for women on the same terms 'it is or may be granted to men'. The NUWSS was constitutional in its approach, preferring to lobby parliament with petitions and hold public meetings. In contrast, the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), formed in 1903, took a more militant view. Almost immediately, it characterised its campaign with violent and disruptive actions and events. Together, these two organisations dominated the campaign for women's suffrage and were run by key figures such as the Pankhurstsand Millicent Fawcett. However, there were other organisations prominent in the campaign, including the Women's Freedom League (WFL). These groups were often...

Words: 16345 - Pages: 66

Free Essay

Xxxxxx

...HOW TO Prepare Your Curriculum Vitae Revised Edition Acy L. Jackson and C. Kathleen Geckeis Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 0-07-142626-4 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-139044-8 All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at george_hoare@mcgraw-hill.com or (212) 904-4069. TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“McGraw-Hill”) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve...

Words: 31831 - Pages: 128

Free Essay

Niger

...the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the US government. A distinctive feature of the crisis that has engulfed European sovereign-debt markets since the fall of 2009 has been that the IMF has played only a supporting (albeit important) role, while the management of the crisis has been driven by European institutions: the council of …nance ministers (ECOFIN), the European Council (EC, made up by all the heads of government of the European Union) and the European Central Bank (ECB). To the extent that the IMF is largely a technocratic institution (though of course not entirely immune from political in‡ uence) while ECOFIN and the EC are made up of politicians, one may expect the management of the crisis by the EC to be more a¤ected by electoral concerns. Furthermore, since there are 27 members to the EC, representing countries with potentially di¤erent interests, one may expect that bargaining and compromise will play a greater role than in cases where the two players are simply the Ardagna: Goldman Sachs; Peterborough Court 133 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2BB; silvia.ardagna@gs.com. Caselli: LSE, CFM, CEP, CEPR, and NBER; London School of Economics, Houghton Street, W2A 2AE, UK; f.caselli@lse.ac.uk. We bene…ted from insightful conversations with Wendy...

Words: 18925 - Pages: 76

Premium Essay

Are the Cuts Fair?

...Coalition Cuts: “Tough But Fair” Immediately as I write this essay Britain’s national debt stands at around £946,319, 240,034, 83.7% debt to GDP ratio whilst the US has a national debt of over $13,492,377,103,199. ‘Thanks to Mr Osborne, Britain now has the earliest, most aggressive programme to cut government borrowing in the G7, despite widespread fears about the strength of the UK and global recovery’ (Flanders, 2010). In this essay I will focus on Britain’s budget deficit, in particular the Emergency Budget, presenting various topics for debate in relation to different aspects of the budget. I will further expand into broader topics such as the recession as a whole, the previous Labour government, other countries situations and subsequent response and the theory behind the policies undertaken, whether driven by political or economic incentives for example. Throughout the essay I will attempt to present ideas in a balanced approach, clearly showing the difference between positive and normative statements. An economies growth rate fluctuates over a period of time, known as the economic cycle. It shows the changes over time in the macro economy such as a recession where growth falls below the trend growth rate: a negative output gap. Such events are cyclical and the general period of time between one boom and another is usually five to eight years (Peter Cramp, Informe). Gordon Brown was keen to avoid successive budget deficits...

Words: 12152 - Pages: 49

Premium Essay

Beurocracy

...Maybe it is time to rediscover bureaucracy? Johan P. Olsen Working Paper No.10, March 2005 http://www.arena.uio.no 1 Abstract The paper questions the fashionable ideas, that bureaucratic organization is an obsolescent, undesirable and non-viable form of administration, and that there is an inevitable and irreversible paradigmatic shift towards market- or network organization. In contrast, the paper argues that contemporary democracies are involved in another round in a perennial debate and ideological struggle over what are desirable forms of administration and government, that is, a struggle over institutional identities and institutional balances. The argument is not that bureaucratic organization is a panacea and the answer to all challenges of public administration. Rather, bureaucratic organization is part of a repertoire of overlapping, supplementary and competing forms co-existing in contemporary democracies, and so are market-organization and network-organization. Rediscovering Weber’s analysis of bureaucratic organization, then, enriches our understanding of public administration. This is in particular true when we (a) include bureaucracy as an institution, and not only an instrument; (b) look at the empirical studies in their time and context, and not only at Weber’s ideal-types and predictions; and (c) take into account the political and normative order bureaucracy is part of, and not only the internal characteristics of “the bureau”...

Words: 13513 - Pages: 55

Free Essay

2004 Un Article Multiculturalism

...HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2004 Cultural Liberty in Today’s Diverse World Accommodating people’s growing demands for their inclusion in society, for respect of their ethnicity, religion, and language, takes more than democracy and equitable growth. Also needed are multicultural policies that recognize differences, champion diversity and promote cultural freedoms, so that all people can choose to speak their language, practice their religion, and participate in shaping their culture— so that all people can choose to be who they are. 65 108 166 55 34 82 3 14 91 51 40 138 29 62 6 99 161 134 114 66 128 72 33 56 175 173 130 141 4 105 169 167 43 94 73 136 144 168 45 163 48 52 30 32 Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Dem. Rep. of the Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic 17 154 95 98 100 120 103 109 156 36 170 81 13 16 122 155 97 19 131 24 93 121 160 172 104 153 115 23 38 7 127 111 101 10 22 21 79 9 90 78 148 28 44 110 135 50 80 Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea...

Words: 113315 - Pages: 454