Challenges to the Will of the People

• Proportional Representation: Solution to First Past the Post. In proportional representation, as Sweden has, citizens vote directly for a party. Then representatives are assigned to office based on the amount of popular support obtained. 
• Proportional representation: Is beneficial for minority parties. Nations using the system usually have more political parties than those under single member constituencies. Usually two or more parties must work together to form government. Many argue that this system is more representative of the population
• Positives of First Past the Post 

  • The system we know 
  • Stable, majority governments 
  • Direct accountability 
• Democracies require Citizen  Participation. Accessibility of voting stations and required ID for voting are challenges to voting. 
• Voter Turnout: Generally decreasing (in Canada/US) with increased voter apathy. Electorate can be indifferent, often because they feel that they don’t have a voice in government. Stop caring and thus stop voting 
• Mandatory Voting: Done in Australia. Not a large penalty. Uniformed/don’t care types of voters. Take time off work - employers has to pay you
• Issues with Mandatory Voting: Donkey Vote - spoiling a ballot on purpose. Voting for the worst candidate on purpose. Enforcement of the law. But voter turnout is higher
• Tyranny of the Majority: Relates to ethics and the “common good”. While Rousseau wrote that the “general will” of the people is believed to be inherently good, John Stuart Mill wrote that the Tyranny of the Majority is a real issue in democracies 
• Tyranny of the Majority: The Canadian Constitution protects against tyrannies. The constitution is the ultimate law of the land and no other law can contradict the Constitution. In order to change the COnstitution it must be approved by 2/3rds of the provinces with a least 50% of the population of all provinces. Main purpose is to protect minority rights
• Tyranny of the Minority: South African Apartheid - This was present in South Africa with the imposition of the Apartheid Laws when the white minority gave themselves political power
• Tyranny of the Minority: Today the tool used to prevent this from happening is a written constitution. No law can be created that goes against the constitution. The purpose is to protect minority rights
• Bureaucracy (Civil Service): Permanent workers in the government. Advise the elected officials (executive branch) and are experts in a specific field. Not supposed to part of a particular party
• Bureaucracy (Civil Service): Complaint is often that they are overpaid and underworked and need to have more cuts as their positions are “too fat”
• Bureaucracy (Civil Service): Citizens feel bureaucrats or the government is ignoring their concerns they can report to an ombudsman - Watchdog who will investigate. Make an issue more publicly known 
• Speed: A democracy is slow as everyone's opinions are heard. Consensus and agreement is hard even within caucus. The fastest, most efficient form of government is a dictatorship.
• Pork Barreling: Means wasting taxpayers money. Spending it on unnecessary projects. Although it may provide jobs, they are often unnecessary. An attempt to appeal to certain group of people - Buying votes - I will give you something as a politician if you vote for me
• Pork Barreling: One of the most famous cases was the “bridge to nowhere” supposed to be built in Alaska. It would serve 40 people who already had ferry access and cost 500 million US dollars. Once the public was made aware of it then the bridge was not built 
• Gerrymandering (US only): Manipulating the ridings or constituencies. Happens when there is a change in population. Specifically target neighborhoods that will confidently vote for the ruling party and exclude neighborhoods that may vote against the ruling party 
• Gerrymandering (US only): Essentially - they manipulate the boundaries of the riding, while still keeping the proportions of population to make rep by pop still followed. Manipulation by the ruling party to get the best electoral results 
• Filibustering: When there is a majority government the ruling party can guarantee the passage of any law. A filibuster is a tactic used by the opposition - anyone is the government building is allowed to stand up and talk and no one else is allowed to interrupt them until they sit down 
• Filibustering: Essentially it is delaying the passage of a law by continually talking. The house is by doing this the public will become aware of the law and encourage/discourage their representatives to vote against it 
• Practicality vs. Popular Opinion: At times the popular opinion is NOT what is best for the country/community and politicians are faced with finding solutions that may be unpopular 
• Examples for practicality vs. popular opinion: Shelters for the homeless, but not in my neighborhood. Replacing the Canadian dollar bill with the Loonie 
• Opinion Polls: Surveys that are done by outside companies to poll the electorate on issues/elections and allow the government/candidates to get a feel of the population on issues. Notoriously inaccurate as they usually all the same people and leads to quick decisions by the government that are not necessarily thought out.
• Opinion Polls: In elections opinion polls can lead to voter apathy because it may show a large victory margin - works both ways, discouraging voters who think their candidate has no chance, and voters who think their candidate may win by a large margin on bothering to vote. Bandwagon voting - just wanted to party of “winning candidate” 
• Lobby Groups/Special Interest/Advocacy Groups: Attempt to influence the direction of governmental policy by groups that represent a particular interest or perspective. Well organized, raise money, influence politicians to see their perspective. Donate $ to political campaigns, there are rules on how much they can contribute 
• Lobby Groups/Special Interest/Advocacy Groups: Plutocracy - ruled by the wealthy: 3500 donors gave 100 000 or more each, outspent 7 million small donors who give 200 or less combined 
• Holding Government officials Accountable: For state, governors, congress- there just be a petition with a specific # of names and they can immediately hold a vote for a recall. This does hold officials accountable immediately. 
• Holding Government OFficials Accountable: - Referendums/Plebiscites - Citizens vote on a single question. Referendum is binding, Plebiscite is nonbinding. 1980, 1994 Quebec Referendum. 1944 Referendum - on Conscription. Direct say in policy 
• Negatives of holding government officials accountable through referendums and plebiscites: Expensive. Confusing questions. Citizens don’t always see full ramifications of a decision. Easy way out for the government, so they don't have to make tough decisions 
• Holding government officials accountable through inquiries: Accusations that the government has done something criminal an investigation can be launched. Headed by someone who is non-partisan 

  • Testify under oath 
  • Criminal charges can be filed 
  • Gomery INquiry - “Sponsorship Scandal”
  • “Mueller Investigation” 
• Holding Government Officials Accountable: Media “watchdog” on the government especially for one that had a large majority. Difficulty in what is “fake news”” and what is act. Media concentration - problem when media outlets are owned only  by the extremely wealthy - can lead to a Tyranny of the Minority (minority imposing their views on the majority
• Holding Government Officials Accountable: Media convergence - all types of media (tv, radio, newspapers, websites, apps) are owned by the same group - no diversity of opinion. A free and independent media is important for a healthy democracy. Rather than being a watchdog, media have turned into cheerleaders for political parties
• Senate Reform: AKA the “House of Sober Second Thought” has the responsibility to review all laws passed by the House of Commons but do not have the p;ower to force the government to make changes to the law. Members of the Senate are appointed by the Prime Minister based on patronage.
• Senate Reform: By-Elections occur when a Member of Parliament retires or dies before the election. There is a vote just in their riding to see who will replace them
• Senate Reform: There is a movement in Canada to either abolish or reform the Senate, reasons being either a waste of money or improvements that could be made. Seats in the Senate are distributed equally by region 

  • Three E’s of Reform 
  • Elected rather than appointed on a four year term 
  • Equal representation by province 
  • Effective. The Senate must have real power to make changes to pass in the House of Commons 
  • Most recently there have been Senate scandals in Canada increasing the need of reform
• Feminism: The advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes - White feminist movement at the start (1960s), Growing awareness in the 2000’s on issue for women of color and the need to address growing disparity. Wage inequality. Career choice - is it based on gender stereotypes or what the genders are better at 
• Suffrage - the right to vote in political elections: Classical Liberalism proclaimed the equality of MEN and in reality at the start only certain men were considered equal. Initially men who owned land. Those who held wealth - certain amount of property or wealth. Classical liberal idea that voting was a privilege for the few gradually gave way to the modern liberal concept that the franchise (ability to vote) was a right 
• Feminism - Equality rights for women in western democracies:  Belief that men and women are to be treated equally in all respects
• Feminism - Equality rights for women in western democracies: Classical liberal view way that women were not equal to men - Womanly virtues of domesticity, child-rearing, religious observance and charitable activities. Women of all classes worked hard - often a source of cheap labor. 1860’s suffragists because to argue for the right to  vote