POL 222 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Will Kymlicka, Meritocracy, Charlottetown Accord
22 Jun 2018
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POL 222 Chapter 11 Notes
Definition of political culture
Political culture the sum total of the politically relevant values, beliefs,
attitudes, identities, and orientations in a society (235)
Influence what is done within a political system and therefore demand
investigation
Aspects of political culture
1 Includes feelings people have toward the overall political community of
Canada- reactions to national symbols (eg. the flag, national anthem, the
constitution) and feelings of patriotism, nationalism, and pride, including the
question of how people feel toward their province/territory as opposed to the
whole country
2 involves beliefs regarding the role of the state
3 Set boundaries to political action and limits the range of actors that are
accorded the status of legitimate participants, the range of issues considered to
be included in the realm of meaningful political debate, and the policy alternatives
feasible for implementation
4 determines what is normal and acceptable and what is not, and consists of the
dominant values and expectations in the political system. These values and
expectations lead to the kinds of political decisions and behaviour that the
various elites in society have deemed to be legitimate
Chapter outcomes
1will focus on the Canadian commitment to democracy, distguish between
the political values of Canadians and Americans, and in the process,
attempt to compile a list of basic Canadian values
other theoretical foundations
Seymour Martin Lipset “formative events” theory – the dominant values of any
society have their foundation in great historical events
Eg. American Revolution, “counter-revolution”
Definition of Democracy
Defined n hundred of ways , some of them quite contradictory, but in the modern
Western world, it usually includes the elements of popular sovereignty,
political equality, political freedom, and majority rule
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY
people have the final say, which n large, modern political systems usually take
the form of elections at certain specified intervals
Means of allowing people to have a say on important matters: plebiscites,
referendums
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Normally exercised in periodic elements, which are mere opportunities to
select those who will be responsible for making the big political decisions over
the next 4 years on behalf of the whole population
An element of the law-abiding nature of most Canadians that everyone
recognizes the legitimacy of the election results and accept this expression of the
popular will
POLITICAL EQUALITY
Everyone has one vote and no more than one vote, as provided by Canadian
Elections Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedom
Minimal expression of political equality: one person-one vote
The principle that everyone has one vote and each vote counts equally
Discrepancy problems:
1 if MPs are not distributed among provinces on the basis of representation by
province
2 If electoral districts are not of equal population size within a province, which is
also a considerable problem because of Canada’s huge uninhabited space
POLITICAL FREEDOM
An element that entails freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, and so
on, such that people can organize and advocate in order to influence election
results and public policy
Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
Freedom of conscience
Freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the
press and other media of communication
Freedom of peaceful assembly
Freedom of association
Problems…
1st interference with freedom of speech or assembly had to wdo with section 98 f
Criminal Code prohibiting “unlawful associations”
violations of political freedoms: authoritiarian regime of Maurice Duplessis in
Quebec, peculiarities of the William Aberhart Social Credit government in Alberta
Majority rule: the larger # takes precedence over the smaller #
American vs. Canadian values
Canadian value #2: individualism
An ideology that individuals should have maximum freedom or liberty to do as
they please, especially in economic terms and that governments should not get
involved in taxation, regulation, distribution, or ownership
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