Democracy Today

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses democracy and looks at and compares different electoral systems, focusing mainly on Canadian politics, but also giving examples of voting systems adopted in other countries. The author explains that although modern democratic states have similar institutions, it is important to not only analyze the specific institutions of government, but also how the people's representatives are elected for their role in government.

From the Paper:

"Today, democracy is the most widely used form of government in the world. Many different types of democracy exist and each has its own special characteristics, but all share one similar trait, the government is controlled by the people, through elected representatives. All modern democratic states have similar institutions, usually some form of an executive, legislative and judicial branch. However, when comparing different democratic states to each other, it is important to not only analyze the specific institutions of government, but also how the people's representatives are elected for their role in government. The electoral process lies at the heart of any democratic government, and the critical difference between democratic and non-democratic regimes is to be found in whether or not the hold elections, and if they do, what kind. The "Single-Member Plurality" or "First-Past-the-Post" system as it is more commonly known, it the electoral system used by the Canadian government, and follows the example of the British electoral system. However, many would agree that this system has serious flaws, and that better, more democratic forms of electoral systems exist such as Proportional Representation, in the form of Party Lists or Single Transferable Vote. Reform of the election system is a possibility, yet as long as the electoral arena does not change and the current electoral system benefits the ruling parties as it does in Canada, reform is not likely to occur. When Single Member Plurality and Proportional Representation are compared and analyzed, it is becomes apparent that the electoral system of Proportional Representation is a far better option for Canada because it would lead to better representation of women and minorities in Parliament and help to reduce regionalism across provincial borders."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Butler, David., Penniman, Howard R. and Ranney, Austin. Democracy at the Polls: A Comparative Study of Competitive National Elections. London: AEI Studies, 1981.
• Boix, Carles. Setting the Rules of the Game: Electoral Systems in Advanced Democracies. American Journal of Political Science Vol.93, No.3: Sept. 1999 609-624
• Elections Canada: www.elections.ca
• Weaver, Kent. Improving Representation in the Canadian House of Commons. Canadian Journal of Political Science Vol.30 No.3: Sept 1997 473-512
• Birch, A.H. Representation. New York: Praeger, 1981

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