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The Democratic Deficit

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Alternative Explanations for Democratic Decline (Perlin) ... Constrains other-than 'majority' candidates (women, visible minorities, etc) ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: The Democratic Deficit


1
The Democratic Deficit
  • Doug Brown
  • St Francis Xavier University
  • Jan. 2006

2
Democratic Deficit
  • What is the Democratic Deficit?
  • Causes and Effects
  • Reform proposals
  • Prospects and potential for change

3
What is the Democratic Deficit?
  • Original term referred to European Union
    institutions that had little or no electoral
    legitimacy
  • Broader use of term, to mean widespread
    dissatisfaction with representative democracy.

4
Key Indicators of the democratic deficit
  • Declining trust in Government
  • Declining sense of efficacy by voters
  • Declining voter turn-out, especially youth

5
Alternative Explanations for Democratic Decline
(Perlin)
  • Inability of Governments to deliver to economic
    expectations, since c. 1975
  • Unprecedented degree and pace of social change
  • Greater personal and family insecurity
  • Media trends aggressive investigation,
    fragmented audience
  • Socio-econ correlations income education (
    age) participation

6
Reform Proposals
  • Electoral system
  • Fixed election dates
  • Internal Party democracy
  • Party financing
  • House of Commons process
  • Senate election
  • Deliberative democracy

7
Electoral System ReformDo we need it?
  • Parties with thresholds of support under 20
    nationally do not get many seats if support
    evenly spread
  • Poor representation by women, aboriginals
  • 1993, 1997 and 2000 elections
  • Concentration by region Liberals in Ontario BQ
    in Quebec Alliance in west

8
Electoral System Reform Alternatives
  • Majority / Plurality
  • FPTP USA, Canada, UK, India
  • Alternative Two-Ballot systems Australia,
    France
  • Proportional Representation
  • Party lists Spain, Scandinavia
  • Transferable vote Australia Senate
  • Mixed
  • Territorial Districts plus Party Lists Germany,
    Ireland, New Zealand

9
Characteristics of Current Electoral System
(SMP/FPTP)PROs
  • Superior representation of individual districts
  • Produces a majority 7 out of 10 times
  • Relatively simple to understand, quickly counted

10
Characteristics of Current Electoral System
(SMP/FPTP)Cons
  • Does not accurately reflect party support
    (especially NDP). Huge constraint on entry of new
    parties
  • Constrains other-than majority candidates
    (women, visible minorities, etc)
  • Probably contributes to Liberal Party dominance
  • Distorts regional representation, adding tensions
    to national unity

11
PR ModelsComparing results in 38th Parliament
  • Actual
  • LIbs 135
  • Cons 99
  • Bloc 54
  • NDP 19
  • Indep 1
  • TOTAL 308
  • Pure PR results (5 party threshold)
  • Libs 121
  • Cons 96
  • Bloc 40
  • NDP 51
  • Others 0
  • TOTAL 308
  • If 3 threshold, Greens get 14 seats

12
Chrétiens reform of party financing
  • Restricts corporate and union donations
  • Encourages more individual donations
  • Spending limits for candidates
  • More reimbursement for candidate expenses
  • 1.75 per vote, per year as funds to each party
    between elections

13
Paul Martins 2004 Agenda
  • Free votes in Parliament and looser party
    discipline overall
  • Bigger role for parliamentary committees
  • Open to more input to Senate and Supreme Court
    appointments
  • More consultation and deliberation by/with the
    general public
  • but no commitment re electoral system

14
Harper Conservatives (2006 election platform)
  • Further controls on party and candidate financing
    (see Accountability Act)
  • Fairer party nomination races
  • Fixed election dates
  • Senate elections (proposed 8-year terms)
  • Free parliamentary vote on same sex marriage
  • More free votes in general
  • More power to parliamentary committees
  • More rep by pop in House of Commons
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