Members Of Parliament

Blidook, Kelly. 2010. "Exploring the Role of ‘Legislators’ in Canada: Do Members of Parliament Influence Policy?" The Journal of Legislative Studies 16 (1): 32-56 This article examines the potential members of parliament (MP) have in their role in policy making. Kelly Blidook raises important issues of how party discipline may disable a MP from doing actions against their party, therefore following strict policy discipline. However, she brings attention to private member bills and it’s impact to influence policies. Blidook highlights that regardless if a private member bills passes or not, it is about the influence it brings as it gathers attention to topics that won’t make MPs look like they are disobeying party discipline by being critical

2011. "Constituency Influence on ‘Constituency Members’: The Adaptability of Roles to Electoral Realities in the Canadian Case." The Journal of Legislative Studies 17 (3): 327-339. The article, Constituency Influence examines how members of parliament (MP) interact through their time in the House of Commons and how effective one is in representing their constituencies. The authors highlights how question period allows MPs the opportunities to voice their opinions to represent their constituencies. However, MPs will usually only speak in limited cases, where there is an election coming and if the issue directly affects their constituency (Blidook and Kerby 2011). Overall, this article’s point is MPs act in rational ways in order to benefit their party and themselves majority of the time. This article relates to The Tragedy of the Commons as it enforces what the authors of the novel reveal through their MP interviews about their accomplishments and struggles during their time as MPs, of their initial difficulties of understanding their functions and roles at parliament. Altogether, Constituency Influence highlights the weak exercises of MPs implementing action for the representation of their people, which contributes to Canada’s falling

2010. "The Media's Role in Shaping Canadian Civic and Political Engagement." Policy and Society 29 (1): 37-51. This article by Brenda O’Neill discusses the different forms of media and it’s impact on Canadian citizens empathy to civic and political engagement. The article highlights there is more civic engagement with new forms of media, the Internet versus traditional forms such as the radio and television, having lower civic engagement. Yet, the media altogether are still main sources for political information but are different in quality and content as radio and television, the point must be quick, generalized and visually appealing in comparison to the Internet that can be more in-depth and more informative (O’Neill 2010). All in all, O’Neill presents how Canadians inform themselves politically and the difference between the presentations of information in the media. Why does it matter? This source relates to The Tragedy in the Commons into the understanding of how citizens and members of parliament (MP) perceive their roles in the functions of Canadian democracy. Through the media presentation of politics and the government, it can influence contradicting ways on the opinions and trust from