Canada's Electoral System

Term Paper # 100160

Canadian Studies > Government and Government Policy
Law
Political Science > Election and Campaigns

This paper discusses the plurality and democratic ideals of the electoral system in Canada.

1,328 words () | 5 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that in the last few years, the Canadian election system has been revised to reflect the changing and developing nature of Canadian politics. The paper discusses the goal of ensuring that the electoral process retains its plurality and untainted representative character. The paper looks at legislation that ensures equal and fair media access to all officially registered political parties and their candidates. The paper concludes that Canada's electorate appears to be one of the most forward thinking electorates in the developed world.

From the Paper:

"Canadian electoral processes are contained in a series of laws that span canonist topics from elections themselves to media, but all combine to form a comprehensive set electoral policies codified through law: Canada Elections Act, Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, the Criminal Code, Income Tax Act, and the Broadcasting Act ("Electoral"). This series of comprehensive laws has been in development since the 1860s following the founding of Canada. As evidence of Canadian election law's ever expanding plurality one need only examine the severe constraints upon who could vote early in the country's history. Initially, only male Caucasians were allowed to vote even this early white male suffrage was limited by certain property restrictions (Studlar pars.4-10). Eventually all adult males were added to the voting eligibility roster with women later being included."

Sample of Sources Used:

Ayres, Jeffrey M. "Political Economy, Civil Society and the Deep Integration Debate in Canada." American Review of Canadian Studies 34.4 (2004): 621+.
Carty, R. Kenneth, and Munroe Eagles. "Electoral Cycles, Party Organization and Mobilization in Canada." The Australian Journal of Politics and History 50.4 (2004): 556+.
"Electoral Law, Policy & Research." Elections Canada (online) (2006). 01 Nov. 2006< http://www.elections.ca/ intro.asp?section=loi&document=index&lang=e
"The Electoral System." Canada's Electoral System, Elections Canada (online)(2006). 01 Nov. 2006< http:// www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=gen&document =elecsys&dir=ces&lang=e&tex tonly=false
Studlar, Donley T. "Steps toward Making Every Vote Count: Electoral System Reform in Canada and Its Provinces." American Review of Canadian Studies 35.1 (2005): 199+.