POLS 2300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Fourth Party System, First-Past-The-Post Voting, Second Party System
7 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
The canadian electoral system and the role of parties n. Evaluating the first past the post system. One candidate is elected in each constituency, and each elector has one vote to cast. The winning candidate is the one who receives a plurality of valid ballots. Not necessarily a majority of the votes. If there are only two candidates, the winner automatically gets a majority. If there are several candidates who split the vote fairly evenly, the winner"s plurality may be far less than a majority. Seeks to reward parties with a percentage of seats in the legislature that reflects the percentage of votes earned in the election. Proportional representation tends to be associated with higher turnout rates. The elector votes not for individuals but for parties. Each party has a list of as many candidates as there are seats to be awarded.
