Political Science 1020E Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Presidential System, Party System, Jack Layton
2 May 2018
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Department
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Professor
March 5, 2018
Political Parties: Bridging Citizens and Government
Political parties: Opening observations
- Organizations that offer slates of candidates to voters at election time, most hope to form
a government, win power, others aim to only get their ideas on the public stage
o Want to influence, and shape ideas
- Significant organizations, have a bad reputation with citizens
- Parties can be very central in the way citizens hold government accountable and express
their concerns
o Schattschneider, 1977
- A window in on the political dynamics of the country
o What a collective country is a bout
o Carty, 2000
- But, rank lowest of social institutions in public esteem
o A paradox of significance
o Brookes, 2009
Parties have an image problem? Why?
- Different institutional system: presidential
o Grounds for citizens to be dissatisfied
- Membership decline (1-2% of Canadians)
- Closed, unrepresentative system “old white guys club”
o About the power structure
o Doesn’t look like their citizens
- Negative political voice; Simplistic policy voice
o Clearer in presidential system
o Policy questions are very complex (healthcare, income inequality)
▪ Not a black and white answer
- Campaigning/governing disjuncture
o There is a credibility gap, once in power back off from promises
- Too partisan
o The extent that people find them to wedded or narrow idea sets
o Appreciative of complexity, looking more for energy and passion of social
movements and interest groups
o Can misinform and mislead voters
- Shift to social movements/interest groups
Does party motivate your vote?
- Party ideology?
- Party platform?
- Party leader?
- Local candidate?
find more resources at oneclass.com
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- “Throw the bums out”?
o Sub-set: Strategic vote
▪ Swallow your first choice
o Vote by necessity
Political parties: broken but important to democracy
Political parties play important democratic roles – 5 factors
Political party – an organization that has a central role in the competition for political power in
legislative bodies and in governing
- Elections: recruit candidates, organize campaigns, present alternatives to the electorate
o Moment government transitions
- Governing: form the political executive (PM and Cabinet), establish a policy agenda,
opposition holds the executive accountable
o Based on political legitimacy,
o Decide which policy tool will be the most prevalent
o Holds accountable for their agenda, actions and raising issues not properly dealt
with by the govt
- Legitimacy: engage citizens in politics, represent citizen diversity, offer a policy voice to
public
o Turning power into authority, accented by the citizenry
o Represent our concerns, offering voice to the public
o Not just a voice but membership is open to all
- Cohesion: channel dissent into the ‘mainstream’ and build the ‘big tent’ where we
discover our common ground and common good
o Build a big tent; ex. want to split the difference between trade unions and CEOs
on economic policy
▪ Finding the common ground to work in a more joined up way
o Nation building mechanism
- Innovation: bring new ideas into gov’t
o CCF and Medicare in Canada, but anti-immigrant in Europe today
Party Types: The Big 7 questions
- Duverger – A typology of political parties
1. How did the party emerge (historical orgins)
a. Is it a product of political elites working together – top-down matter
i. Already privileged who need to organize themselves
ii. Leaders have autonomy
iii. Emerge within the system
b. Or mass protest for change
i. A broad social push
ii. Leaders have to respond to the wish of the members
iii. Challenges the system, puts new issues on the agenda
iv. Ex. NDP
2. How is the party Organized
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Organizations that offer slates of candidates to voters at election time, most hope to form a government, win power, others aim to only get their ideas on the public stage: want to influence, and shape ideas. Significant organizations, have a bad reputation with citizens. Parties can be very central in the way citizens hold government accountable and express their concerns: schattschneider, 1977. A window in on the political dynamics of the country: what a collective country is a bout, carty, 2000. But, rank lowest of social institutions in public esteem: a paradox of significance, brookes, 2009. Different institutional system: presidential: grounds for citizens to be dissatisfied. Closed, unrepresentative system old white guys club : about the power structure, doesn"t look like their citizens. Negative political voice; simplistic policy voice: clearer in presidential system, policy questions are very complex (healthcare, income inequality, not a black and white answer.
