Electoral systems are one of the primary and fundamental institutions of political systems. Many of the existing types of electoral systems can seriously render an influence on every field of state policy beginning with wealth care and finishing with defence systems. In this case, choosing between the types of electoral systems is substantial through the lens of two key yardsticks: representation of all peoples’ demands as well as stability and sustainability of polity. Due to there being the many types of electoral systems, this essay will solely consider two main types, namely, a single member majoritarian system (SMMS or the majoritarian system, where voters have to choose just one candidate for one parliamentary position) and a proportional representation system (PRS, where voters have to choose a party for the whole parliament instead of candidates). These systems were chosen because of the overwhelming number of countries in which they are utilized. In particular, the majoritarian system is used in 83 out of 150 countries and the proportional representation system is used in 57 out of 150 countries (Norris 1997, p. 2). According to Enid Lakeman, one of the particularly significant goals of electoral systems is representativeness, which purports the reflection of the main trends of electorate’s views in parliament in conjunction with the exercise of power in accordance with electorate’s demands in government (Lakeman, 1974 cited in O’Neal 1993, p. 12). In this respect, the majoritarian system offers several benefits, such as, the representation of majority in a parliament and their opinion, and also a direct connection between members of a parliament and voters. It can be seen that this case might satisfy elective body ina... ... middle of paper ... ...Democracy in plural societies: A comparative exploration. New Haven: Yale University Press. Norris, P. (1997). “Choosing Electoral Systems: Proportional, Majoritarian and Mixed Systems”, Contrasting Political Institutions special issue of the International Political Science Review, 18(3), 297-312. Research Branch of the Library of Parliament of Canada. O'Neal, B. (1993). “Electoral systems” [Background Paper], Ottawa, Canada: Research Branch of the Library of Parliament of Canada. Parliament of Canada. (2014). Majority Supporting the Government. http://www.parl.gc.ca/procedure-book-livre/Document.aspx?Language=E&Mode= 1&sbdid=A24E8688-CC45-4245-8F5C-DD32F4AA9B01&sbpid=040856E0-D15F-48AD-BAB4-7712C0E7976A, accessed 2014, January 21. Powell, G.B. Jr., (1982). Contemporary Democracies:Participation, Stability and Violence. Cambridge MA.: Harvard University Press.
For a democratic country to thrive, they must have a proper electoral system in producing the party to oversee our government. Since its inception in 1867, Canada has been using the first past the post system during elections to decide their leading party. Although we have been using this system for an extended duration of time, the FPTP system is flawed and should be changed. The goal of this paper is to prove the effectiveness of shifting to more of a proportional system, while also exposing the ineptness of Canada’s current system. With other methods advancing and little change of the first past the post system, this system is becoming predated. A variation of the proportional electoral system is key because it empowers voters, increases voter turnout, and creates a more diverse environment. Canada should adopt a more proportionate electoral system at the federal level if we wish to expand democracy.
In this essay I will argue that British General Elections should be conducted using a system of Proportional Representation. First, I will argue that the system would be more democratic as every vote that is cast would be represented and this ...
Selb, Peter and Lachat, Romain. 2009. “The more, the better? Counterfactual Evidence on The Effect of Compulsory Voting on The Consistency of Party Choice.” European Journal of Political Research 5: 573-79.
...ment plays an important role in determining the relationship between its politicians and electorates. It also “[calculates] how votes are translated into seats of political power... it... also affects the party system, political culture, the formation of government and the structure of the executive” (Trac 5). Most importantly, candidates in an SMP system can be elected with minimal amounts of public support as they do not require a majority of the votes. To be elected to the legislature in the PR system, a candidate must have “at least 3% of the party vote across the province” (Ontario Citizens' Assembly 3). In contrast to the SMP system, the PR system better represents the views of the citizens, supports a stable and effective government, and is a simple yet practical voting system. It successfully caters to the needs of the voters, unlike the traditional system.
However, the proposed systems must be thoroughly examined for their compatibility with Canada’s needs and their ability to resolve the issues outlined in this paper. From distortion in representation to Western alienation and to making the voices of minorities heard, the new system must also ensure that Parliament fulfills its role in representing, legislating, and holding the government. More importantly, after the current government abandoned its promise on electoral reform, it is important for researchers and future governments to build on the knowledge acquired by the Special Committee on Electoral Reform as well as previous experiences of the provinces with electoral
The issue of electoral reform has become more important than ever in Canada in recent years as the general public has come to realize that our current first-past-the-post, winner-take-all system, formally known as single-member plurality (SMP) has produced majority governments of questionable legitimacy. Of the major democracies in the world, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom are the only countries that still have SMP systems in place. Interestingly enough, there has been enormous political tension and division in the last few years in these countries, culminating with the election results in Canada and the USA this year that polarized both countries. In the last year we have seen unprecedented progress towards electoral reform, with PEI establishing an electoral reform commissioner and New Brunswick appointing a nine-member Commission on Legislative Democracy in December 2003 to the groundbreaking decision by the British Columbia Citizen’s Assembly on October 24, 2004 that the province will have a referendum on May 17, 2005 to decide whether or not they will switch to a system of proportional representation. This kind of reform is only expected to continue, as Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty decided to take BC’s lead and form an independent Citizen’s Assembly with the power to determine whether or not Ontario will have a referendum regarding a change to a more proportional system. There is still much work to do however, and we will examine the inherent problems with Canada’s first-past-the-post system and why we should move into the 21st century and switch to a form of proportional representation.
The SMP method of voting is what is now used in all Canadian Legislative Assemblies and the House of Commons. During a provincial election, each province is separated into electoral districts. The area allocated to each district is determined, largely, by population densi...
Tanguay, Brian . "Electoral Reform in Canada: Addressing the Democratic Deficit | Manitoba Law Journal." Robson Hall Faculty of Law. http://robsonhall.ca/mlj/content/electoral-reform-canada-addressing-democratic-deficit (accessed October 21, 2013).
Words often associated with democracy are freedom, choice, representation, voice and opinion. However, what happens when there is an excessive number of representatives and too many politicians voicing their opinions? The choice of whom to vote for becomes harder due to the barrage of opinions. The influx of political parties has greatly affected the elections, as poll results show that minority parties are receiving votes from Canadians which diminishes the amount of votes going to the main parties.
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.
Karp, J. A. (2006). Political knowledge about electoral rules: Comparing mixed member proportional systems in Germany and New Zealand. Electoral Studies, 25(4), 714-730.
Britain is considering changing current first past the post voting system (FPTP) to proportional representation (PR). The main reason is that FPTP is “quasi-democratic” voting system under which there is only one majority party ruling the government and it does not represent wishes of all voters as some votes are wasted. Whereas, PR seems to be the best alternative voting system with proportionality of seats in mandatory places, more parties ruling government and etc. Let us look at these two voting systems and analyze whether PR is suitable and alternative change for FPTP and do advantages of PR outweigh disadvantages.
Most democratic countries have a multi-party system where many different ideologies are represented in government. Multi-party systems provide a broader representation of the people and give voters more choices at the polls, however, can lead a party to form a coalition, which can dissolve easily causing instability in the government. The United States electo...
Debating which constitutional form of government best serves democratic nations is discussed by political scientist Juan Linz in his essay “The Perils of Presidentialism”. Linz compares parliamentary systems with presidential systems as they govern democracies. As the title of Linz’s essay implies, he sees Presidentialism as potentially dangerous. Linz points out the flaws as presidentialism as he sees them and sites rigidity of fixed terms, the zero-sum game and political legitimacy coupled with lack of incentive to form alliances as issues to support his theory that the parliamentary system is superior to presidentialism.
Blais, Andre. "Electoral Insight." CCL Web: Criteria for Assessing Electoral Systems (1999): 1-6. Web. 26 Aug. 2010.