Key Terms

Question 1

Polarized Pluralism

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Duverger’s Law

Answer 2

FPP produces two-party politics
PR may produce multipartism

Question 3

“Strong” electoral systems do what?

Answer 3

Constrain the numbers of parties to slightly more than 2 (ex. FPTP)

Question 4

“Weak” electoral systems do what?

Answer 4

Produce a complex party system

Question 5

Mechanical Effect (Duverger)

Answer 5

Parliament is less fractionalized than the electorate

Question 6

Electoral System Theory

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Who has been the historically dominant centre?

Answer 7

The Liberal Party

Question 8

National Question

Answer 8

Quebec’s status in Canada
The Key to Liberal Dominance in Canada

Question 9

Coordination Failure

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Single Member Plurality/First Past The Post

Answer 10

The winner of a constituency only needs the highest share of the votes, not a true majority

Question 11

Proportional Representation

Answer 11

Ensures minority groups a measure of representation proportionate to their electoral support

Question 12

Electoral System discriminates in favour of whom?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Whom does the electoral system discriminate against?

Answer 13

Middling parties - there aren’t many seats leaft after the strong and weak get their share

Question 14

In which party is Quebec over represented?

Answer 14

Liberal

Question 15

In which party is Ontario over represented?

Answer 15

Conservatives

Question 16

Is the electoral system impartial in translation of votes to seats?

Answer 16

No. It favours strong parties with many votes and weak parties with sectional strongholds, and undervalues middle parties with diffuse support

Question 17

What has the Electoral System done to the Canadian political landscape?

Answer 17

It exaggerates the significance of sectional/regional cleavages, turns elections into sectional issues rather than party issues

Question 18

Brokerage parties

Answer 18

Aim to cover the highest amount of needs to the highest number of people
Liberals and Conservatives
Both try to hold the centre

Question 19

How does the electoral system play into sectionalism?

Answer 19

It provides a solid basis for parties to organize themselves
Parties exacerbate the hatreds, fears and insecurities related to divisive sectional and ethnic cleavages

Question 20

How does QC tend to vote?

Answer 20

With the government side of the House
QC tends to decide who governs

Question 21

Is it appropriate to call the party system a nationalizing agency?

Answer 21

No. Parties cannot overcome secitonal divisions inside the elctoral system.

Question 22

Is Canada a middle class society?

Answer 22

No, distribution of wealth has actually grown less equal

Question 23

What must happen for class voting to occur?

Answer 23

Members of occupational sectors must recognize themselves as part of a class, and organize around it.

Question 24

What occurs when politics are defined as conflict between two language groups?

Answer 24

It is more difficult for members of the same class to organize with different backgrounds
- Some poli cleavages are incompatible with others

Question 25

How does the media typically frame elections?

Answer 25

As games, “horse-race”

Question 26

What does the Game Frame encourage parties to do?

Answer 26

Avoid clear issues and make ideology obscure

Question 27

What election does Trimble analyze, who are key figures?

Answer 27

2000 election
National Post
Globe and Mail
Chretien (Liberals)
Stockwell Day (Alliance)

Question 28

What was Trimble’s objectives in her study?

Answer 28

Assess prevalence of game framing in the Post and Globe
Determing the differences in campaign coverage

Question 29

What elements had differences between the Post and the Globe during the 2000 election, as observed by Trimble?

Answer 29

Issue emphasis
Leader portrayals
Party assessments

Question 30

How does the Game Frame affect voter interest and engagement in elections?

Answer 30

trivializes issues
portrays campaigns as personality contests
hyper critical evaluations of the strategies and motivations of political actors

Question 31

What was the Post’s overall stance?

Answer 31

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

Question 32

What was the Globe’s overall stance?

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Globe and Post mentions of NDP and Bloc

Answer 33

Only as parties, never as leaders. Generally limited mentions.

Question 34

What was Trimble’s ultimate findings?

Answer 34

Game framing trivializes and de-politicizes electoral democracy
Globe and Post portrayed Election 2000 as a slugf est between individual leaders

Question 35

What does Bittner investigate?

Answer 35

The relationship between social group identity and levels of information in relation to vote choice

Question 36

What is meant by a shortcut, in terms of social group identity?

Answer 36

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.

Question 37

What does Bittner find?

Answer 37

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.