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Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson & Myers, Chapter 9 & 10 What should a Parliament look like (not the buildings, the people)? Can use.

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Presentation on theme: "Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson & Myers, Chapter 9 & 10 What should a Parliament look like (not the buildings, the people)? Can use."— Presentation transcript:

1 Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson & Myers, Chapter 9 & 10 What should a Parliament look like (not the buildings, the people)? Can use Elections Canada’s 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 System Malcomlson & 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 System Malcomlson & 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 System Malcomlson & 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 System Malcomlson & 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 System Malcomlson & 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 System Malcomlson & Myers, Chapter 9 & 10 Functions of Political Parties 1.Recruit candidates (elites) 2.Educate & socialize (elites & voters) 3.Run campaigns 4.Aggregate interests 5.Formulate policy alternatives

8 Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson & 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 System Malcomlson & 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 PartyMale Candid. Male MPs Success %Female Candid. Female MPs Success % Lib23310243.875 (24.4%) 34 (25.0%) 45.3 Con2728631.636 (11.7%) 12 (12.2%) 33.3 NDP212188.596 (31.2%) 5 (21.7%) 5.2 BQ573968.418 (24.0%) 14 (26.4%) 77.8

10 Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson & 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 System Malcomlson & Myers, Chapter 9 & 10 Functions of Political Parties 1.Recruit candidates (elites) 2.Educate & socialize (elites & voters) 3.Run campaigns 4.Aggregate interests 5.Formulate policy alternatives

12 Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson & 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 System Malcomlson & Myers, Chapter 9 & 10 Types of Political Parties Define parties on two dimensions 1.The nature of their political appeal 2.Their organizational mode Party’s Appeal Focussed & Ideological Broad & Pragmatic Organizational Mode Mass (bottom-up) ProgrammaticPopulist? Cadre (top-down) ?Brokerage (or catch-all)

14 Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson & 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? Party’s Appeal Focussed & Ideological Broad & Pragmatic Organizational Mode Mass (bottom-up) Cadre (top-down) ?

15 Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson & 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: 1.Focussed (often regional) 2.Populist and participatory

16 Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson & Myers, Chapter 9 & 10 The Parliamentary and Extra-Parliamentary Party Parties have two wings 1.Parliamentary party Leader, MPs & Senators Provide leadership and are party’s public face 2.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 System Malcomlson & 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/PRBpubs/prb0579- e.htm#limits2 http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0579- e.htm#limits2

18 Elections, Parties, and the Party System Malcomlson & Myers, Chapter 9 & 10 Midterm Exam 1.In class this Friday 3 October 2008 2.Worth 20% of final grade 3.Multiple choice (60%) & short answer (40%) 4.Material: Canadian Regime (Ch 1) Responsible Government (Ch 3) Elections (Ch 9) Parties (Ch 10) Lectures 5.Make-up exam restricted to students with documented reasons for missing exam (e.g., medical condition, student-athlete commitments) 6.Make-up will be scheduled at a later date

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