POL 2101 Lecture Notes - Single Transferable Vote, Geographical Constituency, Party System
Document Summary
Key term: single member plurality system (first past the post count the most votes) Single member plurality system (smp): an electoral system in which voters in each geographical constituency elect a single representative to the legislature. The candidate with the most votes is elected, regardless of whether that candidate received the majority of votes . Canada"s electoral system hinders the development of a party system capable of acting as a unifying agency in a country where sectional cleavages are significant . Discriminates against national parties with thinly spread support. Duverger - voters won"t waste their vote for a party that will only win 1 seat. Provinces have historically experimented with other electoral systems: single transferable vote, alternative vote/preferential voting. Recent attempts at modifying the electoral system: referendums on mixed member proportional system (ontario and pei, two referendums on sgv in british columbia. Impact of political socialization: apathy just don"t vote, depends on social issues that people are interested in.