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Provincial Parties and Elections. Party Functions. Interest aggregation and articulation Political socialization Election campaigning Fundraising. Types of Parties. Cadre parties – elites, originate in parliamentary bodies
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Party Functions • Interest aggregation and articulation • Political socialization • Election campaigning • Fundraising
Types of Parties • Cadre parties – elites, originate in parliamentary bodies • Mass parties – mass membership, originate in extra-parliamentary movements • Militia Parties – not relevant in Canada; organized like fighting units for revolutionary purpose
Organization of Canadian Parties • Conservatives • Liberals • New Democrats • Bloc and Parti Québécois • Saskatchewan Party • Wild Rose Alliance • Green Party
Voter Volatility • Is there more change in party systems at the federal than provincial level? • Compare federal history with recent provincial government changes, new parties, etc.
Party Systems • Newfoundland, PEI, and New Brunswick • Ontario and Nova Scotia • Manitoba, Saskatchewan and BC • Alberta and Quebec
Election Administration • Turnover • Turnout • Constituency Boundaries • Voter Qualifications • Candidate Qualifications • Party and Election Finance
Party and Election Finance • Registration of parties and/ or candidates • Recording and publicizing donations • Limits to donations (with tax credits) • Limits on expenditures • Financial accountability • Subsidies • Limits on third party advertising
First-past-the-post and Alternatives • All jurisdictions now use single-member, simple plurality systems, though in the past, most provinces had multi-member ridings, and BC actually experimented with a single transferable vote in 1952. BC and Ontario have recently had commissions who designed reforms but their recommended reform in BC failed to get 60% support and the one in Ontario was defeated by over 60% of the voters.
Democratic Deficit? • Can we rank the provinces in terms of their degree of “democracy” by looking at electoral rules? We can consider proportionality as a valid measure, and open qualifications for voters and candidates, but what mix of party finance rules can be said to be most democratic?