Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson

1
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• What should a Parliament look like (not the
  buildings, the people)?
• Can use Elections Canadas website to see
  candidates gender
• http//www.elections.ca/home.asp
• Should Parliament mirror society?
• Microcosm theory of representation Parliament is
  representative only if it is a microcosm of
  society
• Rep by pop Cabinet representation by province
  reflect this demand / theory
• What of women, minority representation?

2
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Problems with Microcosm Theory of Representation
• Who decides which groups represented?
• Does this not imply a hierarchies of groups?
• Liberalism does not recognize groups rights as
  such
• Do interests coincide with descriptive
  characteristics?
• How to ensure representation?
• Reliance on parties semi-private groups to
  provide representative candidates
• Parties may face supply problems

3
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Problems with Microcosm Theory of Representation
• Who decides which groups represented?
• Does this not imply a hierarchies of groups?
• Liberalism does not recognize groups rights as
  such
• Do interests coincide with descriptive
  characteristics?
• How to ensure representation?
• Reliance on parties semi-private groups to
  provide representative candidates
• Parties may face supply problems

4
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Problems with Microcosm Theory of Representation
• Who decides which groups represented?
• Does this not imply a hierarchies of groups?
• Liberalism does not recognize groups rights as
  such
• Do interests coincide with descriptive
  characteristics?
• How to ensure representation?
• Reliance on parties semi-private groups to
  provide representative candidates
• Parties may face supply problems

5
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Interests Descriptive Characteristics
• Is it credible to believe that members of
  minorities that obtain office will reflect
  interests of their minority groups?
• 1993 Canadian Candidate Study Among 143 (22.8)
  female candidates
• Undergraduate degree 35
• Postgraduate degree 31
• In Canada of degree holders (1991 Census)
  10.7
• The pervasive impact of class on political
  recruitment

6
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Problems with Microcosm Theory of Representation
• Who decides which groups represented?
• Does this not imply a hierarchies of groups?
• Liberalism does not recognize groups rights as
  such
• Do interests coincide with descriptive
  characteristics?
• How to ensure representation?
• Reliance on parties semi-private groups to
  provide representative candidates
• Parties may face supply problems

7
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Functions of Political Parties
• Recruit candidates (elites)
• Educate socialize (elites voters)
• Run campaigns
• Aggregate interests
• Formulate policy alternatives

8
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Status of Political Parties
• Parties link state and civil society
• Not in the CA 1867 or CA 1982
• No convention demanding parties
• Recognized in statute law (Canada Elections Act)
• Parties are semi-autonomous from the state, and
  so state cannot entirely dictate parties
  internal affairs

9
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Candidate Supply Problems
• Parties may face supply problems in attracting
  minority candidates
• Conservatives cannot attract many women
  candidates
• NDP has a difficult time getting their women
  candidates into House

10
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Political Party a publicly (i.e., visibly)
  organized group of people motivated by a set of
  common political ideas who try to win public
  office to translate those ideas into policies

11
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Functions of Political Parties
• Recruit candidates (elites)
• Educate socialize (elites voters)
• Run campaigns
• Aggregate interests
• Formulate policy alternatives

12
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Status of Political Parties
• Parties link state and civil society
• Not in the CA 1867 or CA 1982
• No convention demanding parties
• Recognized in statute law (Canada Elections Act)
• Parties are semi-autonomous from the state, and
  so state cannot entirely dictate parties
  internal affairs

13
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Types of Political Parties
• Define parties on two dimensions
• The nature of their political appeal
• Their organizational mode

14
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Liberals a brokerage party par excellence
• NDP a Canadian effort at a programmatic
  mass-party
• Changing nature of Reform as it transformed into
  the Conservative Party
• Bloc bottom-up talk, top-down action?

?
15
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Party Organization and the Electoral System
• Can find examples of all 4 types of parties in
  Canada, but
• Parties that want government must broaden appeal
  engage in brokerage (i.e., reconcile divergent
  interests)
• Insurgent parties tend to offer appeals that are
• Focussed (often regional)
• Populist and participatory

16
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• The Parliamentary and Extra-Parliamentary Party
• Parties have two wings
• Parliamentary party
• Leader, MPs Senators
• Provide leadership and are partys public face
• Extra-parliamentary party
• The party outside Parliament
• Central party (i.e., head-office) weak in
  Canada
• Constituency associations
• Nominate recruit candidates
• Provide volunteers at election time
• Where the party meets civil society
• Tend to be quite autonomous in Canada

17
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Political Parties and Money
• Campaigns require money lots of it
• Canada Elections Act limits spending by national
  parties, candidates, and nominees (i.e. potential
  candidates)
• Recent laws (Bill C-24, An Act to amend the
  Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act) also
  limit contributions
• Severely curtailed scope of union and corporate
  donations
• Limits individual contributions
• Parties additionally financed by state depending
  on their votes (1.50/vote)
• See http//www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRB
  pubs/prb0579-e.htmlimits2

18
Elections, Parties, and the Party
SystemMalcomlson Myers, Chapter 9 10

• Midterm Exam
• In class this Friday 3 October 2008
• Worth 20 of final grade
• Multiple choice (60) short answer (40)
• Material
• Canadian Regime (Ch 1)
• Responsible Government (Ch 3)
• Elections (Ch 9)
• Parties (Ch 10)
• Lectures
• Make-up exam restricted to students with
  documented reasons for missing exam (e.g.,
  medical condition, student-athlete commitments)
• Make-up will be scheduled at a later date