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Canadian Electoral Reform

            Government efficiency is dependent on the capacity of the government to make decisions that mirror the views of the majority. This would require municipal representatives to be elected by at least half of the voters. This has not been the case in Canada. Electoral reform has been a highly debated issue throughout Canadian politics. Currently, Canada's electoral system is being questioned for its inability to reflect the political views of its citizens. The single member plurality system (SMP), which Canada employs to fabricate a democratic election, can cause representatives to be elected without the majority of the popular vote. In contrast, the system of proportional representation eliminates an inequity in parliament composition by ensuring representation from every party that received votes. Although this system would inevitably result in minority governments, it would appropriately cater to the views of the constituents. To produce a more effective government, Canada's single member plurality electoral system should be replaced by a system of proportional representation (PR).
             Canada's current single member plurality electoral system is often described as a "first past the post " system. The way in which this system functions is that each voter is allowed one vote and the candidate with the most votes (or a plurality) becomes elected. Proportional representation, on the other hand, can be accomplished through a multitude of electoral methods. But for the sake of convenience, we will focus primarily on the two most notable systems: party list system, and mixed member proportional. The party list system used to achieve PR relies on the voter to choose the party they wish to support as opposed to the actual candidate. Once the votes are counted, seats are allocated in proportion to the number of votes the party received. If the party wins 30% of the popular vote, they will be awarded 30% of the seats available.


Essays Related to Canadian Electoral Reform

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2. Canadian interest group

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3. social movements and political

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4. Proportional Representation

... -the-post." The candidate who attracts the most votes wins the seat, no matter what percentage of the vote the candidate gets. Many believe that the current electoral system is flawed. Therefore, a call for election reform has been heard in Canada. "Most established democracies have abandoned winner-take-all systems for those based on proportional representation." Proportional representation is a system that ensures ... support, and discriminates against parties with a smaller amount of support across the country. The 2000 general election can again be used as an example. That year, the ...

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6. Political Parties

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7. Jean Louis Papineau

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