How Citizens Elect Governments

VotingVoting in an election has been called the single

most important act of political participation.

Democracies today are: representative democracies: a democracy in

which citizens elect others to represent them in government.

not direct democracies: a government in which all citizens directly participate in decision making without representatives. Ex: Ancient Athens

Citizens elect representatives to exercise their power of debate and policy making. Ex: sending people to war.

Checks on Representatives’ PowersElections are held frequently to ensure that

representatives are responsive to the electorate. If a politician does not keep a promise their held

accountable to the electorate.

Canadian Federal and Provincial Elections must be held every five years.

Municipal must be held every three years.

The Election ProcessThe Prime Minster (Federal) or Premier

(Provincial) choose the best time to call an election within the five year limit.

Elections also occur when a minority government is defeated in the legislature.

In a Federal Election the PM asks the Governor General to call a general election. Must be held within 36 days of that

announcement. Election day is always a Monday unless it falls on a

statutory holiday, which moves it to a Tuesday.

The chief electoral officer, the head of Elections Canada, mobilizes the thousands of volunteers and permanent workers to prepare to election.

Notices are mailed to voters telling them where to vote. Ex: neighborhood church or school.Canada has permanent voter’s list drawn

from gov’t income tax information, drivers licenses.

Election dayBy law you’re given 3 hours to vote in your

job.Show ID>get a ballot>named check off a

list> go to booth>choose candidate by marking X>drop ballot in box in front of poll clerk.

What it looks like

Who Can Vote?Gotta be over 18 years old

Must be a Canadian citizen

Same for provincial elections with requirement that the citizen be a resident of the riding or constituency where the voting is taking place. Constituency: the body of voters represented b

an elected legislator or official.

Who used to be able to vote In 1867, the year of Canadian confederation,

the vote was limited to make, British citizens over the age of 21 who owned property.

Excluded were women, renters, minorities and Aboriginal parties.

Denying the right to vote (the franchise) has been used as a weapon. Ex: 1885 Asians denied right to vote, WW1

conscription crisis, 1918 women granted the franchise.

Canada’s voting record (not so good).Post 2000 election chief electoral officer

proposed possible law requiring citizens to vote.

2004 election voter turnout 60%.

In Australia voting mandatory and 94%.

Also compulsory in Belgium, Greece.

Should voting in Canada be compulsory?

Political Parties in CanadaMost of Canada’s political history dominated by

the Liberal and Conservative parties.

19th century (Conservative), 20th century (Liberal), 1930s NDP formed.

To form a majority government, a party must win one-half of Canada’s 308 ridings plus one more (155).

a minority government: one that governed and proposed legislation, but was dependent on the support of other parties.

Canada’s Political Party on the Spectrum

Two-Party and Multiparty Systems If Canada had only two parties, every

government would be a majority government. Advantages: clear choice between two leaders and

two parties. Disadvantages: Offers stability (no minority governments) Ex: US, GB, New Zealand, Australia

Multi-party system Advantages: offers a wider choice of policies Disadvantages: less stable

FPTP vs PROur voting system is called the First Past the

Post: an electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes wins, even if he or she receives less than 50 percent of total votes; sometimes called “simple majority.”

Some believe it should be replaced by proportional representation: an electoral system in which the number of seats each political party wins is in proportion to its share of the total vote.