Poli Chap.10democ. And Elections Flashcards
What are the elements of the electoral system?
1- electoral formula- The way votes are translated into seats
2- Ballot structures- The way in which a vote choice it’s self is framed - categorial ballot or preferential ballot
3- District size - Number of elected representatives awarded for single district not sized of geographic area or population
Who administers elections
Elections Canada
Who calls elections?
The prime minister calls elections and advises the Governor General and has some leeway unless defeated on a vote of confidence
Which was the first province to give women the right to vote
Manitoba 1916 then Alberta and Saskatchewan
Who was the first woman elected to the Canadian legislature
Louise McKinney
What were the conditions for women in aboriginals to vote initially
Only women with connections to military could vote no Mennonites no immigrants Born on the enemy lands could vote
Aboriginals only allowed to vote if they relinquished status as a registered Indian
Why did aboriginals not want to vote
Aboriginals didn’t want to vote as it would legitimize there assimulation
What was the suave decision of 2002
All adult Canadian citizens can vote except chief Electoral officer and deputy electoral officer
When do advanced polls open
One week before election day
Who does the chief electoral officer answer to and what do they do
Chief electoral officers are responsible to the legislature
- independent person who bears responsibility for overseeing the entire election
- they issue election Ritz a point returning officers ensure election workers are trained officially recognize political parties
What is a list of electors
A central database of the name sex data birth and address of every Canadian who is eligible to vote
What does a returning officer do?
Overseas administration of election in that area
- supported by team of workers including deputy returning officer and poll clerks
- someone locally responsible for the election of candidates
What is the scrutineer
Candidates representative
Individual observes counting of ballots
Who is able to cast a special Ballot
Special ballots are submitted by mail for people who can’t go to a polling station travelling temporarily living away Canadian forces members and prisoners
What did the elections act do?
Detailed election rules that was passed by Parliament
Act designates chief electoral officer to report to parliament not prime minister as head of elections Canada nonpartisan organization that runs elections
What is the difference between a riding and a constituency
Ridings are federal and constituencies are provincial
What were some of the new rules of the fair elections act
1-stricter vouching- stricter rules to prove residency
2-reduced elections Canada communications- no more advocacy to increase voter turn out
3- reassignment of commissioner of Canadian elections- no longer elections Canada officials but members of office of director of prosecutions( The police election rules)
5- party access to voting data
6-nomination of polling station employees
7-hire donation limits
8-stricter rules for Robo calls
9-restrictions on third-party advertising
What is the voters paradox
Situation facing voter who single valid is unlikely to influence the outcome of the election making the cost of voting greater than potential benefits
What is a safe seat
Electoral district in which incumbent party is highly likely to be reelected
What is a swing district
Riding/ constituency where election outcome is uncertain
What is mixed member proportional representation system
Electoral system combines geographic and partisan representation by providing extra seats to parties who’s share of seats is lower than their share of the popular vote
Who issues the election rich
Electoral commissioner on the direction of the Governor General
How are the number of seats determined
Number of seats are determined by a formula that guarantees minimum representation and recognizes growth in population but allows 25% deviation plus rules from smaller provinces
What happened to the constituency boundaries in 1997?
1997 consensus changes lead to altering of constituency foundries
2001 senses expanded the house of commons to 308 seats
What is an election Writ
Official declaration of an election as mandated by the governor general
It is a nomination
Candidates must submit formal nomination papers with endorsements from 100 local builders
What is apportionment
Two key elements used to calculate size and shape of federal writings
- electoral formulas- establish how many House of Commons seats each province is entitled to
- electoral boundary rules which establish means by where constituency lines are drawn
What did the changes to the electoral formula include
Heading 30 seats to the house of commons
- Ontario 15
Alberta and bc six and Quebec three
- Standard111666 people per riding in 2011
- that’s representation rule preventing any provinces from losing any seats as a result of future seat redistributions
What is the four step process to determine how many seats each province receives (apportionment) under the 2012
1- determine initial provincial seat Elocation by dividing provincial population by electoral quotient set at 111666
2- apply minimum seat guarantees but considering the number of additional seats each province receives as a result of set it for rule and grandfather rule
3- apply new representational rule- no province that is currently overrepresented should emerge under represented as a result of the new formula
4-add territorial seats -
What is the Senate floor rule and what is the grandfather floor
Senate floor rule no problem she’ll have fewer MPs than senators
Grandfathered floor ruleno province should have fewer seats then in 1985
Explain deviances is in apportionment
Governments typically establish a series of permitted deviances by which commissions may stray when creating districts
All Canadians jurisdictions allow for some exceptions to these deviances most exceptions involve northern or remote communities to preserve a certain number of seats in the legislature for these traditionally marginalized groups
How much does an election campaign cost and what do these costs include??
Campaigns can amount to over $200 million per campaign
Costs include:
Paying and training poll officers
Printing ballots
Renting space for offices and polling sites
Mounting voter education campaigns
Acquiring information technology and supplies
What are political contributions and what are the rules surrounding it
Political contributions are donations to political candidate or group
Only individual Canadians can donate to federal parties third-party such as corporations and unions are not allowed to contribute funds similar restrictions existence and provinces but not all
Expenditures- amount and type of spending parties can conduct
Disclosure- nature of public reporting required for donations and spending
What are the three main forms of subsidies that political parties are allowed to receive from the government
Election spending rebates
Tax credits
Annual Direct public funding
What are party spending limits
Legal restrictions on expenditures
Calculated on # of of ridings a parry contests and # of voters in thise ridings
What are political contributions
Donations to political candidates group or cause restricted in source and amount
What are the 3 rules of political finance regimes
Revenues- contributions to pp
Expenditures- amount and type of spending pp can do
Disclosure- nature of public reporting required for donations and spending
What is redistribution
Redistricting
Formal process used periodically adjust electoral boundaries
Legal process in Which electoral boundaries are redrawn
Once every decade
What is the boundries commission and why are they important
Recommends changes to election boundaries (independent body)
Some able to add seats
Prevent gerrymandering
What is gerrymandering
Purposeful manipultion of electoral districts to max pp chance of winning
What is john porters canadas mosaic vertical
Notion canada is multicultural and not wasp
White anglo saxton Protestant
Hierarchy with wasp at top in politics and corporate power
What is mixed member representation
Geographic and partisan rep by providing extra seats to parties whose share of seats is lower than the pop vote electoral system
What are the 3 things that can prompt an election
Request by pm or premier
Defeat or governing party in leg (non confidence)
End of 5 yr term
What are the four stages of an election campaign
1- pre writ - current gov gives good news positive
2- phony war - period leading up ti first debate
- electors just starting to pay attention
- candidates nominated, campaigns set up, can still fix mistakes
3- leaders debate-
4- post debate- increase ads, attack ads, sharpen message, swing district, gotv get out the vote with air and ground
What is party nomination?
Internal contest for local party leaders to run in upcoming elections
What is seats triage
Identifying swing districts where resources should be concentrated
What is an incumbent
Elected official who currently represents electoral district
What is a plebiscite
Non binding citizen vote held to inform a decision by representative bidy ( public opinion on policy
What does it mean to finalize election platforms
List of political pledges announced before or during and election campaign
What is a referendum
Binding public vote
What is a recall
Legislates process by which electors can call for by election
What are some pros of the first past the post system
Encourages clear choice rewards largest party with more seats than votes
More stable single party roll government that is able to enact policy in legislation
Produces large position party
Big tent party favour
Encourages link between reps and constituents based on geography
What are the cons of first past post
Distorts vote and seat relationship
Single party getting power reducing need for compromise
May limit ideological coherence
And perhaps representation
May result in porkbarrel politics rather than national politics
What are the rules in constituencies
Polling stations are supervised by the Deputy returning officer
Each candidate to scrutineers
Recounts are automatically done in case of a difference of less 1/1000 of ballots cast
What are the new rules in constituencies
Reduced Federal campaign time
Added seats up to 308
Permanent voters list
Who can run??
Candidate must
File nomination papers signed by 100 electors
Deposit $1000
Usually seek party nomination
Some run independent
Party leader can refuse to accept a nominated candidate
Who pays for elections to prevent undue influence 1974 and 2004 legislation
Ceiling on candidate and party spending
Disclosure on contributors identities
Tax credit for contributors
Public subsidies for serious candidate
Public subsidies for major parties
Max contributions 1200$ per person corporation or associations
Mostly funded by tax payers through taxes
Funded to lesser degree by pp soliciting funds
Pay per vote was nixed by harper gov to get $1.85 a vote
Media ads and use of professional consultants
From dissolution to new government
Dissolution and dropping of writ start orahization of party campaigns
Constituency machinery in place by returning officers as directed by chief electoral officer
Minor electoral positions are patronage
Show the expansion of the franchise (vote)
1918: women federally
1948: asian ancestry
1953: inuit
1960: status indians
1975: 18 yr olds; no longer brit subjects
1988: prision inmates
2000: returning officers charter on voter eligibility
Who is not eligible to vote
Senior electoral officers
The queen
Inmates serving sentences more than two yrs and those convicted of corruption and simular offences
Who votes?
75% elderly
34% youth 18-23
How do we vote
Sociological model
Social groups drives vote
Voting decisions responses to social pressures
Social groups include- class religion, sex, ethnicity, urban rural peer pressure and group mentality
How do we vote?
Socio psychological model
Voters respond to things closer to election
Socioligical model brings mixed results and voting more complex
More based on votes as individuals and their feelings and attitudes towards pp leaders and candidates
Id with pp critical to voting decision
How do we vote?
Rational choice model
Assume all citizens act rationally in politics
Citizens vote for party because : best policies, candidates and benefits to them
Citizens vote for what is in their best interest
Vote choice = benefit from incumbent or next best party
If outcome positive voter supports incumbent if neg they support other party
Briefly describe Sick johnston “ letting the people decide”
Study indicates campaigns do matter and opinions on issues change during the campaign to beats
Pretty strategist and consultants monitor revise strategy and tactics
Efforts focussed on geographical areas
Candidates make intense efforts at local level
National campaigns focus on the leader
Short-term. Factors include leadership issues the campaign in the media
Long term factors include socialization through family class religion gender ethnic city urban/Rural
Regional support varies overtime
French traditionally favored liberal party changed 1984 to block and conservatives and even NDP
Class is not a strong indicator of voting preference
Religion strong correlation for a liberal by Catholics and conservatives are more protestant
Regional influences: West in protest parties party I did Acacian is widespread but low in intensity
What were the primary issues in 2015
Time for change Scandals the senate Democratic reform Leadership harper controlling Canada's role in the world
Economy
Trade deals pensions jobs growth healthcare environment
What were the secondary issues in 2015
Social diversity immigration crime marijuana terrorism condition is politics defence spending in policies
