Should we change how we vote? : evaluating canada's electoral system / edited by Andrew Potter, Daniel Weinstock, Peter Loewen.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Potter, Andrew, editor.

Weinstock, Daniel, editor.

Loewen, Peter Victor, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Canada. Parliament--Elections.

Canada.

Voting--Canada.

Voting.

Elections--Canada.

Elections.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (249 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Montreal, [Quebec Province] : McGill-Queen's University Press, 2017.

Summary:

During the 2015 federal election, the Liberal Party pledged that, if elected, they would end the “first past the post” electoral system, where whichever candidate receives the most votes wins a riding even if they have not received a majority of all votes cast. In early 2017, the Liberals reneged on their campaign promise, declaring that there was a lack of public consensus about how to reform the system. Despite the broken promise – and because of the public outcry – discussions about electoral reform will continue around the country. Challenging the idea that first past the post is obsolete, Should We Change How We Vote? urges Canadians to make sure they understand their electoral system before making drastic changes to it. The contributors to this volume assert that there is perhaps no institution more misunderstood and misrepresented than the Canadian electoral system – praised by some for ensuring broad regional representation in Ottawa, but criticized by others for allowing political parties with less than half the popular vote to assume more than half the seats in Parliament. They consider not only how the system works, but also its flaws and its advantages, and whether or not electoral reform is legitimate without a referendum. An essential guide to the crucial and ongoing debate about the country’s future, Should We Change How We Vote? asks if there are alternative reforms that would be easier to implement than a complete overhaul of the electoral system.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction: The History and Politics of Electoral Reform

Guiding Principles

Evaluating How We Vote – Again

The Complex Normative Landscape of Electoral Systems

Democratic Stability, Representation, and Accountability: A Case for Single-Member Plurality Elections in Canada

Electoral Reform Is Not a Rights Issue

The Imaginary Worlds of Electoral System Reform

Evidence and Experience

Voter Choice and Accountability: A Case for Caution about Electoral Reform

Electoral System Reform: Implications for Internal Party Democracy

Democratic Deliberation and Electoral Reform

Can Proportional Representation Lead to Better Political System Performance?

What Is the Problem that Electoral Reform Will Solve?

Issues and Alternatives

The Electoral System and Parliament's Diversity Problem: In Defense of the Wrongfully Accused

Indigenous Representation, Self-Determination, and Electoral Reform

Addressing Representational Deficits in Canadian Legislatures

How Should We Decide?

Public Consultation on Electoral Reform Through Referenda or Plebiscite: Recent Experience in British Columbia

Should We Have a Referendum?

A Modest Case for Constitutional Limits on Electoral Reform in Canada

Which Procedure for Deciding Election Procedures?

Notes

Contributors

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed April 4, 2017).

ISBN:

0-7735-5083-6

0-7735-5082-8

OCLC:

969538353