POLI 221 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: North American Free Trade Agreement, Elections Canada, Responsible Government
3 Jan 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Facing the democratic deficit: too much control and power in the hands of few. Power is taken from the hands of the citizens and put in the hands of the top authorities. Existing democratic institutions lack power, and women, aboriginals and ethnic minorities are under-represented. Reasons behind the deficit: mindless adversarialism in the hoc (a learned attitude that reflects competition and the need to best others), the centralization of power in the pm"s office and rigid party discipline. This has caused a reduction in the number of voters (from 1997-2000, the number of non-voters outnumbered the number of voters who voted for the winning party), indicating a disaffected and indifferent electorate. There has also been a decrease in younger voters, particularly because of their lack of political knowledge. Two thirds of voters in 2000 agreed that those who are elected quickly lose touch with the citizens.
