A Matter Of Quality Candidates In Canadian General Elections

Cet ouvrage couvre la période qui va de 1758 à nos jours.

Party systems. Party organization. For too long, scholars researching in these two areas have worked in isolation. This book bridges the divide by bringing together political scientists from both traditions to examine the intersection of rules, society, and the organization of parties within party systems. Blending theory and case studies, Parties and Party Systems builds upon the work of R. Kenneth Carty to examine how parties weather the organizational challenge of appealing to a dispersed membership while maintaining a degree of central direction. This volume will provoke theoretical reconsideration and inspire research at the organization-system nexus.

Following significant increases in women’s electoral representation in the 1980s and 90s, progress has stalled. Today, there are only a few more women in Canada’s parliament and legislatures than a decade ago. What has happened to the representational gains for women and why does gender parity remain so elusive? To answer these questions, Stalled provides a detailed roadmap of women’s political representation as candidates, office-holders, cabinet ministers, party leaders, and as representatives of the Crown at all levels of government across Canada. Comprehensive and accessible, this volume makes clear that women are far from achieving equality in sites of formal political power.

The two studies in Interest Groups and Elections in Canada explore the nature and influence of special interest groups. They consider different aspects of the question, "In the context of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, how can the laws intended to secure a fair electoral process be reconciled with freedom of expression?" Janet Hiebert reviews the limits on interest groups adopted in 1974 and amended in 1983, profiles the groups involved int he 1988 federal election, and discusses relevant legislation and jurisprudence in the provinces and abroad. She concludes that spending limits for parties and candidates will only be effective if there are also restrictions on independent expenditures during elections by groups and individuals. Brian Tanguay and Barry Kay assess the influence attributed to locally oriented interest groups, including by members of Parliament, and conclude that these organizations have less influence on the political process than is the popular view. The authors conclude that dissatisfaction is a key variable explaining the role of these interest groups and their activities during elections.

In this work, the authors employ a series of experiments to assess the strategies used to win elections and stay in power once elected.

Reconsidering provincial and federal debates about democratic reform alternatives.