Canadian Politics Exam #3

What document outlines democratic rights?

CA 1982 - “every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election

What is an electoral system

the rules that structure how an election is to be conducted

Within the electoral system there is two subsections?

eligibility and the voting system

Eligibility:

who can vote/ be elected

Voting system:

how the votes translate into seats in the parliament/legislative assemblies

What are the 3 criteria to be eligible to vote in Canada?

Be a Canadian citizen, be at least 18 years of age, prove your identity and address *person can attest to your ID, for over 10+ years(see changes to eligibility on table on Nexus)

What are the 4 ways to vote?

On election day, on advance polling days, by mail, special ballot process

On election day:

Vote at assigned polling station, open for 12 hours the day of the election

On advance polling days:

open for 4 (separate) days, +/- 10 days before the day of the election, only at your assigned polling station (12 hours)

5.89 million Canadians voted using this option in 2021

± 19% increase since last general election

By mail:

must first apply, at least a week before election day

to be valid, your ballot must be received by your assigned polling station by the end of the election day

1.2 million Canadians requested to vote by mail in 2021 - but 90k invalid ballots (didn’t arrive on time)

Special ballot process:

(vote at) any elections Canada office (at least a week before the election day), use of special ballot will be counted in your designated polling station

Voter turnout:

The % of eligible voters that voted - see table on Nexus

The SMP (single member plurality system)

Canada ➗ into 338 electoral districts - so 338 different elections

one elected MP per electoral district

MPs are elected from a pool of candidates - no limit

citizens have only one vote per election

plurality vs majority

T/F? To win a seat in the federal parliament (or provincial legislature), a candidate in an electoral district must not necessarily obtain 50% + 1 vote

True - they only need to get most of the votes in their electoral district (vs majority) ex. Plurality: The individual with the most votes ex. 33% of vote means 67% of voters didn’t vote for them

Majority: more than 50% of voters voted for that specific candidate

Electoral district:

a territorially delineated political unit where the votes are counted

T/F - an electoral district is the most important political unit in our electoral system

True

3 Criteria for the design of electoral districts?

electoral quotient, community of interest, constitutional norms

Electoral quotient:

electoral districts should comprise a similar number of people (± 111k people)

Community of interest:

(e.g) official language minority communities, to avoid gerrymandering (manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class -results then, are not proportionate to the electorate)

Constitutional Norms: 3 criteria

Section 51 (1) (1) - Proportionality, Section 51 (1) (2) Historical Right, Section 51 A - the Senate Rule

Section 51 (1) (1) - Proportionality:

“There shall be assigned to each of the provinces a number of members equal to the number obtained by dividing the population of the province by the electoral quotient and rounding up any fractional remainder to one.”

Section 51 (1) (2) Historical Right:

“If the number of members assigned to a province by the application of rule 1 [...] is less than the total number assigned to that province on the date of the coming into force of the Constitution Act, 1985 (Representation), there shall be added to the number of members so assigned such number of members as will result in the province having the same number of

members as were assigned on that date”.

Section 51 A - the Senate Rule:

“ [...] a province shall always be entitled to a number of members in the House of Commons not less than the number of senators representing such province”

“one person, one vote”

1 vote in Labrador = 5 votes in Brantford-Brant

The electoral map:

is not static

T/F? The constitution requires seats in the House to be recalculated and the boundaries of federal electoral districts reviewed after each 10 year census to reflect changes and movements in Can’s population.

true- known as the redistribution of federal electoral districts

Who oversees changes to electoral districts?

the electoral boundaries commission (one per province - judge + panel of experts)

Next federal election will probably have how many electoral districts?

342 (2014 - 308 to 338 districts)

Pros of the SMP system: SDAP

Simple: the most simple voting system to understand and apply (one vote, district, electorate)

Direct connection: between the citizen and the elected rep, every citizen has one clear representative in Ottawa

Accountability: citizens can easily reward or punish their MP based on a good or bad job

Political stability: solid majority in parliament (in theory, not with regional parties), because of 338 ridings, tends to reward 2 parties, (imperfect) bipartism - produced at the expense of marginal parties - plurality, limits political extremism - these voters are not sufficiently concentrated in districts

Cons of the SMP system: RFL

Representativeness - distortion between the number of votes and number of seats ex. 1979 Liberals 40.1% (of popular vote) vs PC 35.89% but PC’s formed government

Favours regional parties at the expense of national parties (as concentrated parties will benefit)

Limits the representation of minority groups (candidates vs elected MP,s) non-politicized people vote for sameness, sense of trust with incumbents, spread out populations, political parties give minority candidates districts that are not winnable

Liberals tend to win as?

support is spread throughout the country

Microcosm theory of representation argues

the assembly should mirror society - Argument #1 - fairness/ strict proportionality, Argument #2 diversity of voices / interests heard in the assembly

the end of representative democracy? more into the theory than actual representative democracy

The PR (proportional representation) system pros: NMAICG

Number of seats = % of popular votes * only one electoral district, the entire country voting for a political party - number of seats = number of votes

More democratic: a more accurate representation of political views in society (in the house but not exactly in the executive)

A higher turnout: but after 5-6 elections tends to decline - citizenship education - froces institutions to offer education to the public

Ideas and ideology matter more than the candidates: you do not vote for a candidate but for a party

closed list vs open list - better rep for minority groups?

governance - increase in overall # of parties getting elected - next to impossible to have one party control the majority of seats, to govern you need a coalition (usually governs in the center)

Closed list? (PR system)

political parties have list from 1-338 ,10% the first 38 on the list, higher on the list, greater chance of getting elected (not spread out regions) greater representation of minority groups?

Open list:

list of 338 people for each of the parties, need to decide who, citizens then get a better say

PR cons: HQPN

higher degree of political instability - lots more parties

quasi-impossible to form coalition government (ex. Belgium) - makes it harder for citizens to know exactly who should be accountable for decisions, partycracy and deals behind closed doors after the election (parties dominate - sometimes it takes weeks to find leaders - Belgium 542 days without gov)

party leaders have ltos of power within their organization (ex. designing the voting lists)

no local representation by a single MP

Mixed Member System Pros: C2DSE

a combination of SMP and PR systems

citizens have 2 votes (can be different parties):

1) # of seats = results of vote #1 (proportional, list)

2) SMP, electoral districts

Democracy strengthened - an accurate representation of political views in society (PR) + local representation (bigger electoral districts)

proved to be more stable than pure PR systems

a greater electoral choice for citizens than SMP (specific party + candidates)

Where is mixed member implemented?

Germany, New Zealand

Where is PR system implemented ?

Japan (2.5% threshold), Belgium (5% threshold), Israel (3.25% threshold)

Mixed member system cons?

too complex - need the education

one type of MP considered more important than the other?

name the features of the STV system

citizens rank (1, 2, x) the candidates

need 50% + 1 vote to win a district..

if after round 1 no one is elected, the least popular candidate is eliminated and their votes go to the second preferred candidates of the voters .. until there is a clear winner

-but not an accurate representation of what would happen - electoral behaviour adapts to voting environment (see pic of different systems)

What is a political party? (name the 5 features - Palombara and Weiner)

sustainable organization (outlives a single leader)

a local and highly visible organization. with direct links to the centre/ leadership

multiple institutional layers (local, regional, national)

Willingness to take power (not just influence it like lobby groups, Bloc)

Seeks popular support

+promotion of a more or less coherent ideology

What is the Malcolmson definition of a political party?

“political parties are publicly organized groups of people who are motivated by some common set of political ideas and whose goal is to have their particular members win public office, so that those ideas can be put into practice”

there is also the existence of x parties?

anti-system/ protest parties (Bloc Quebecois, Reform Party, Canadian Alliance)

T/F political parties have no constitutional existence in Canada

true - but the institutional architecture promotes their existence - independent MPs have very little power/influence, government vs opposition in the parliament

What are the 5 functions of political parties? RFIPPE

recruitment, fundraising, interest aggregation, policy development, political education

Recruitment:

" parties recruit people into the party as members and, sometimes, as candidates. This recruitment function is obviously crucial, for modern democracies are constantly imperiled by apathy and lack of civic participation” (Malcolmson et al., 2021: 137)

“The parties supply us with our political leaders through national leadership conventions, our candidates by means of constituency nominations, and the vast number of campaign workers needed to run all the aspect of a modern election” (Malcolmson et al., 2021: 138)

Fundraising (name 3 regulations)

parties raise money for their organizations and election campaigns - contribution limits, tax credits, spending limits, reimbursements

What are the contribution limits of fundraising?

“Only Canadian citizens and permanent residents can donate to a party, candidate, or nomination candidate” +$ limits

Describe tax credits aspect of fundraising

donation of 400$, tax credit of 300$

Describe spending limit aspect of fundraising

expense limits = # electors / riding + length of campaign (± 100k per candidate)

Describe the reimbursements aspect of fundraising

<10% of support/ riding or 2% of total votes = 60% reimbursement of expenses

T/F - in Canada, we fund the existence of political parties

True - their existence is subsided by the gov

Interest Aggregation:

“[...] parties identify, represent, and attempt to balance the diverse interests of Canadians” (Malcolmson et al., 2021: 138)

- they develop and promote a more or less coherent ideological view

-some parties are more flexible (Libs) than others, want to govern so willing to compromise

Policy Development:

“In the process of attempting to aggregate interests and integrate them into a national whole, the parties formulate and influence public policy”

-Political platforms* - dont need to be in power for these policies to be implemented Ex. Libs took healthcare policy from the NDP

Political Education:

“parties educate people about political life. Party membership provides an education in holding political office by means of providing elected offices within the party”

*Germany - by law ¼ of funding goes to education

T/F political education in Canada is partisan

True - only for members

What are the 2 (+1) sections within political parties (name)?

the parliamentary wing, the extra-parliamentary wing, and the non-affiliated supporters

Describe the parliamentary wing?

-Caucus / parliamentary leadership (cabinet or shadow cabinet) elected candidates

-the party leader (powerful regardless of opposition of executive - shadow cabinet scrutinizes certain ministries)

the most powerful section - “To the extent that the parliamentary wing of the party is best positioned to guide the party toward electoral success, it will continue to exercise a dominant role within the party”

describe the extra-parliamentary wing

the non-elected, democratic life of the party, not as powerful as it used to be in the 60’s (everything revolved around party conventions - conventions guide party leaders)

Who is the extra-parliamentary wing comprised of?

the party president, executive, conventions, local and regional executives, employees, candidates

describe non-affiliated supporters

The electorate ex. 2015 liberal race maximized legitimacy (supporter not member) - see OneNote

Name the three types of political parties

Elite-based parties, mass-based parties, and catch-all parties

Describe elite-based parties

only one “section” the parliamentary wing (party does not exist between elections, no party conventions, securing membership etc…)

local elites had lots of power - no mass communication yet

local issues magnetized

no clear ideology - what differentiated parties was how local leaders addressed local issues - all saying different things, no manifesto

Describe mass-based parties

creation of the extra-parliamentary wing (between both WW’s up to the 80’s)

fuelled by mass support

definition of clear political ideology - attributed to mass-based technology

T/F mass-based parties are when the pan-Canadian conception of politics emerged, leading to catch-all parties

True

Describe catch-all parties

flexibile ideology (conservative and NDP voters are more ideological in voting tho harder for these electorates to accept flexible ideology)

#1 priority = electoral gains

“presidentilization” of politics (leaders is powerful)

leaders as brokers - job is to break deals between different factions in society (libs are called this “brokers in chief” - Trudeau)

similar to elite-based parties as those leaders acted as brokers as well

Name the 5 features of a party system (voting system impacts this)

1) nature of relationship between the political parties

2) a specific time/political environment (party systems are not eternal)

3) political culture (ideologies, relative power of the leaders, supporters, media)

4) # of political parties

5) their relative strength/ chances of having at least a few candidates elected

What are the 2 most important features of a party system?

-number of political parties

-their relative strength/ chances of having at least a few candidates elected

What are the 3 types of party systems? name them

single party system, two-party system, multi-party system

Describe a single party system

one political party is clearly predominant (not one party democracies)

Describe a two-party system

regular alternance between two typical political parties + very limited space for emerging parties

Describe a multi-party system

more than 2 parties have a chance to make significant electoral gains

Describe the features of the first party system in Canada

a two party system: conservatives/ liberals - two main actors Macdonald and Laurier

elite-based parties: no extra-parliamentary wing between elections, no clear views - local issues mattered most

Clientelism: rewarding supporters by controlling public resources (jobs, legislations - basically corruption)

Brokerage politics: as there was no clear cut ideological platforms at that point

When did the first party system in Canada come to an end

1920

When did the second party system in Canada come to an end? start?

1960; 1920

Describe the features of the second party system in Canada

single party system: liberals dominated that era and became the natural governing party

brokerage politics: still very important (fades after WW2)

Emerging parties: commonwealth co-operation federation - ancestor of the NDP (60’s) grew in importance (technically a multi-party system dominated by 1 party, social credit:

Emerging dividing lines in society: class (farmer (social credit) + workers (NDP) / capitalistst and regional lines - east and west (no pan-Canadian vision yet)

Describe the 3rd party system

single party system: liberals still the natural governing party

national/pan-Canadian vision: Keynesianism - liberals, conservatives, NDP expand beyond initial regions - no changing messages (mass based party), Canada stops seeing themselves as British subjects, = Canadian, multiculturalism -new communication technologies: more coherent ideology/platform

Development of the extra-parliamentary wing: existed at the time of the second party system - mass based parties

what year did the third party system start? end?

1960; 1990

Describe Keynesianism

The market economy is good, but need the state in times of recession

Describe the fourth party system

a multi-party system: regionalism + the end of the pan-Canadian vision (emergence of the Bloc marks this) + brokerage politics and new political marketing /targeted campaign - gathering of info on voters, public opinion polls, etc..

Bloc Quebecois emerges in 1993 - 54 MPs out of 75 her majesty’s opposition libs formed gov tho because bloc highly regional

Reform party emerges -1993- 52 MPs, Canadian Alliance - formed out of Reform party

Liberal party: in steady decline, but still governing

2003→ Harper and the New conservative party (fusion of PC and Canadian Alliance) reunited conservatives

When did the 4th party system begin? did it end?

1990 to present, but unsure if we are in the midst of a 5th party system

What types of parties in the 4th party system of Canada?

catch-all parties + mass-based parties

What other key aspect was part of the 4th party system of Canada? describe

Neo-liberalism: market logic for all socio-economic issues (supply + demand), no state intervention in the economy (casts shadow on keynesianism), fundamentally individualistic perspective, state is always to big

5th party system?

too close to identify, something has changed, libs still win and are strategic, multi-party system, different voting patterns e. 2011 orange wave, realigning election

What are the 3 different types of elections? name them

maintaining elections, deviating elections, realigning elections

describe maintaining elections:

an election in which partisan support remains generally / relatively stable.. minor shifts ex. 2019-2021

describe deviating elections:

an election in which partisan loyalties are disrupted.. but temporarily only (because of economic downtowns / leader charisma, etc..) ex. 2011

describe realigning elections:

an election that signals significant and long-lasting shifts within the electorate

going from one party system to another is due to this election

Describe the first party system of MB: Embryonic formative system:

power sharing democracy: 12 seats for the French speaking citizens 12 for English, governing together

non-party system: candidates presented under no political banner

once elected: MLA’s either aligned with the government or opposed to it

no legislative building but a provincial senate (abolished 1876 no money, conditional federal transfers)

First election in MB? votes? seats?

first election 1870: 1057 votes, 24 seats

What led to to the second party system of MB?

1878/79, candidates began to affiliate with parties, echoes to federal scene, Scottish Ontarian migrants brought wigs and tories logic

Describe the 2nd party system of MB: traditional 2 party system:

-migrants from ON brought the logic of party affiliations - not meaningful ideologically speaking

-two parties governed: liberals (Thomas Greenway) and Conservatives (Rodmond Roblin)

-multiple electoral reforms (PR in Winnipeg, first time in North America)

-experimentation, settled down t0 status quo (SMP)

When did the traditional two party system begin in MB?

1879-1922

What type of election in the second party system?

realigning election

Describe the 3rd party system of MB: Quasi-party systems

-John Bracken: United farmers of MB “progressive” everywhere

-only governing party to survive the depression

-Bracken party

-no party discipline → free votes would either join opp or gov

-no real opposition either; reinforced his all-powerful status

-no party politics - candidates elected by acclamation

-wanted rural MB to rule, to WPG

When did the quasi party system begin in MB? end?

1992; 1958

What type of election was the third party system (Quasi-party systems)

realigning - 1922

Describe the 4th party system of MB: Three Party system:

-the return of traditional politics within a British-inspired parliamentary system; PCs centre right

-Duff Roblin ++ (PC minority gov) .. liberal decline - NDPs centre left, libs go right

-CCF becomes NDP in 1961

-electoral map revised - WPG gained seats (early 60’s

When did the three party system begin in MB? end?

1958; 1969