Key Terms Flashcards
Polarized Pluralism
characterized by multiparty competition and domination by a central party, which gives the rest of the system a centrifugal logic
- Canada’s form of party competition
Duverger’s Law
FPP produces two-party politics
PR may produce multipartism
“Strong” electoral systems do what?
Constrain the numbers of parties to slightly more than 2 (ex. FPTP)
“Weak” electoral systems do what?
Produce a complex party system
Mechanical Effect (Duverger)
Parliament is less fractionalized than the electorate
Electoral System Theory
a strong system induces strategic action to reduce the number of parties, such that sooner or later voters and parties will consolidate into two roughly coequal blocs.
Who has been the historically dominant centre?
The Liberal Party
National Question
Quebec’s status in Canada
The Key to Liberal Dominance in Canada
Coordination Failure
the electoral problem resulting from competition between two or more candidates or political parties from the same or approximate location in the political ideological spectrum
Single Member Plurality/First Past The Post
The winner of a constituency only needs the highest share of the votes, not a true majority
Proportional Representation
Ensures minority groups a measure of representation proportionate to their electoral support
Electoral System discriminates in favour of whom?
Strong party - a large nuber of votes produces enough victories in constituencies to give mroe seats than votes
Weak party - able to focus efforts on areas of strength, lean into sectional strenght
Whom does the electoral system discriminate against?
Middling parties - there aren’t many seats leaft after the strong and weak get their share
In which party is Quebec over represented?
Liberal
In which party is Ontario over represented?
Conservatives
Is the electoral system impartial in translation of votes to seats?
No. It favours strong parties with many votes and weak parties with sectional strongholds, and undervalues middle parties with diffuse support
What has the Electoral System done to the Canadian political landscape?
It exaggerates the significance of sectional/regional cleavages, turns elections into sectional issues rather than party issues
Brokerage parties
Aim to cover the highest amount of needs to the highest number of people
Liberals and Conservatives
Both try to hold the centre
How does the electoral system play into sectionalism?
It provides a solid basis for parties to organize themselves
Parties exacerbate the hatreds, fears and insecurities related to divisive sectional and ethnic cleavages
How does QC tend to vote?
With the government side of the House
QC tends to decide who governs
Is it appropriate to call the party system a nationalizing agency?
No. Parties cannot overcome secitonal divisions inside the elctoral system.
Is Canada a middle class society?
No, distribution of wealth has actually grown less equal
What must happen for class voting to occur?
Members of occupational sectors must recognize themselves as part of a class, and organize around it.
What occurs when politics are defined as conflict between two language groups?
It is more difficult for members of the same class to organize with different backgrounds
- Some poli cleavages are incompatible with others
How does the media typically frame elections?
As games, “horse-race”
What does the Game Frame encourage parties to do?
Avoid clear issues and make ideology obscure
What election does Trimble analyze, who are key figures?
2000 election
National Post
Globe and Mail
Chretien (Liberals)
Stockwell Day (Alliance)
What was Trimble’s objectives in her study?
Assess prevalence of game framing in the Post and Globe
Determing the differences in campaign coverage
What elements had differences between the Post and the Globe during the 2000 election, as observed by Trimble?
Issue emphasis
Leader portrayals
Party assessments
How does the Game Frame affect voter interest and engagement in elections?
trivializes issues
portrays campaigns as personality contests
hyper critical evaluations of the strategies and motivations of political actors
What was the Post’s overall stance?
More flamboyant
Critical of Liberals and of Chretien
Favoured Alliance party
Positively assessed Joe Clark after English debate
Encouraged Day to be more aggressive in campaign
What was the Globe’s overall stance?
More bland headlines
More critical of Day and Alliance
Favoured Liberals, indicated hope for Paul Martin
Positive on Clark after debate
Encouraged Day to be more aggressive in campaign
Globe and Post mentions of NDP and Bloc
Only as parties, never as leaders. Generally limited mentions.
What was Trimble’s ultimate findings?
Game framing trivializes and de-politicizes electoral democracy
Globe and Post portrayed Election 2000 as a slugf est between individual leaders
What does Bittner investigate?
The relationship between social group identity and levels of information in relation to vote choice
What is meant by a shortcut, in terms of social group identity?
Less informed individuals are able to come to the same voting conclusions as if they were fully informed, by relying on groups they identify with.
What does Bittner find?
That information has a major impact on political issues. Low info people and high info people of the same groups do not act the same.
