What are the strengths and weaknesses of representative Democracy in Canada? Explain why some argue that Canada suffers from a ‘democratic deficit’? Explain why some people or groups are more represented than others? Ensure you examine the electoral system as well as the policy-making process. Canada is a representative democracy. The idea of representative democracy is that it ensures that every citizen has the opportunity to vote for representatives at all levels of government (federal, provincial, and municipal). These representatives then establish laws and policies that will benefit the country and its citizens. Although having a representative democracy has a positive impact on the Canadian society, it comes with many strengths and weaknesses. Matters such as this form of government that encourages deceit, it takes a voice away from the minority, it simplifies the decision-making process, and it is a form of government This study source was downloaded by 100000818713535 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2024 08:21:21 GMT -06:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/136174545/badm-3200-assignment-1-1docx/ that operates efficiently are some of the strengths and weaknesses of a representative democracy in Canada. However, even though having a representative democracy in Canada has had a positive impact on its society, Canada seems to suffer from a “democratic deficit”. Trust in the Canadian Government and public institutions have been on a steep decline over the past years, as Canadians are dissatisfied with their democracy, as evidenced by rising distrust of political institutions and lower voter turnout. Some people or groups in Canada can also be more represented than others. One main reason for this issue can be that some groups are more highly populated than others, which leads to policies and laws that are not diverse for all citizens. The most common type of government is representative democracy. As a result, it has both benefits and drawbacks for both the government and the people. One of the main weaknesses of a representative democracy is that it is a form of government that encourages deceit. In a representative democracy, a politician's goal is to be elected as a representative. That gives the politician an incentive to say or do anything in order to win the election. Many politicians will make broad promises to the general population in order to acquire votes. People may become furious, accuse the politician of lying, and even start the process of trying to remove them from office. It doesn't matter. After a politician is elected, they can start influencing legislation for nearly any reason because depending on what level of government they are elected in they serve a certain time. Another weakness of having a representative democracy is that it takes a voice away from the minority. This leads to political division in the country, as people/citizens believe their ideas are being brushed aside while the majority is always preferred. The minority may have brilliant ideas, but their arguments are always ignored due to the electoral system, forcing them to adapt to the winning team's new ideas. This can also mean that This study source was downloaded by 100000818713535 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2024 08:21:21 GMT -06:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/136174545/badm-3200-assignment-1-1docx/ some groups or people are more represented than others because to implement policies and make the bulk of decisions, a representative democracy nevertheless relies on a majority rule framework. When the majority is not acting ethically or morally, the government's structure might put the lives of those in the minority at risk. Moreover, one of the main strengths of a representative democracy is that it simplifies the decision-making process. A representative democracy permits a group of elected people to make choices rather than forcing everyone to vote on everything. In some cases, a nation's leader may be given the authority to make decisions on behalf of the electorate. Decisions can be made more quickly as a result of this delegation, making the government more responsive to a potential emergency situation. It's also a smart type of government that expedites decision-making because it's easier for 50 people to become aware than it is for 40 million people. And the better government programs are executed to serve its citizens, the faster decisions are made. The purpose of this system of administration is to ensure that the government receives rapid feedback from all elected officials on major investments or projects that benefit the public. In contrast to a direct democracy in which people must read the entire document, prepare for a voting day and counting process before implementing simple policies. Another strength of representative democracy is it is a form of government that operates efficiently. A representative democracy adds checks and balances into the government's structure to prevent one group from gaining more power than another. A representative democracy is fairly effective when each party performs their obligations as they should because it is created to have people work together in a cooperative attitude. Countries like Canada with representative democracy save time and money used on national elections, allowing them to focus on other public priorities. The strengths and weaknesses of representative democracy demonstrate that it can be a useful form of government when balanced properly. People can always have a say in This study source was downloaded by 100000818713535 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2024 08:21:21 GMT -06:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/136174545/badm-3200-assignment-1-1docx/ how their lives grow throughout time as long as there is proper communication between the people and the government and elected officials operate ethically. Next, the gap between Canadians and those who govern them is broad, deep, and widening. People are seeing their government institutions become increasingly distant and opaque at a time when they are demanding greater accountability and openness. Too many Canadians believe that their views are being ignored, that their efforts to influence government policy are insignificant, and that their elected officials' policies do not reflect their beliefs or concerns. One sign of Canada's democratic deficit is declining voter turnout, which reached a historic low of 60% of registered voters in the 2004 federal election. Another issue is unhealthily high levels of skepticism toward politicians: an alarmingly large number of folks regard our politicians as filthy liars who will do or say anything to get elected. Also, one of the most concerning developments in contemporary Canadian politics is the growing disengagement of young voters—only around one in every five voters under the age of 24 bother to vote. Furthermore, the percentage of people that participate in official political activity is extremely low. Over the last decade, the number of persons volunteering for law, advocacy, and political organizations has remained stable at around 2% or less, while volunteer hours have decreased by 15% from 2004 to 2007. In the political process or the policy-making process, women and minorities are underrepresented. Women's representation in Parliament has remained relatively stable – and low – at around 20% since 1997. All these are reasons why some people believe Canada suffers from a democratic deficit. These issues range from the electoral system all the way to the policy-making process. Many Canadians believe their voices aren't being heard and that the policy-making process is corrupt. A recent example of this is how Canada is choosing to This study source was downloaded by 100000818713535 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2024 08:21:21 GMT -06:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/136174545/badm-3200-assignment-1-1docx/ deal with Covid-19. Citizens across the country are upset over vaccine mandates, lockdowns, and mandatory masks. People believe that everyone should have a choice on if they want to wear a mask and get the vaccine and not be controlled by the government. This shows a democratic deficit because the government is telling people what to do, while their rights are being taken away from them. In conclusion, Canada is a democratic republic with a representative government. That is, citizens elect members to the House of Commons, who, in conjunction with the Senate, pass laws and make choices for the country and its people. Some components of our system are founded on unwritten traditions, and others are codified in our Constitution. Even though having a representative government is popular among countries in the world it can also come with many advantages and disadvantages. Situations such as this type of government encourages dishonesty and corruption, takes the minority's voice away from them, accelerates the decision-making process, and is a government that runs smoothly are just some of the benefits and drawbacks of having a representative government. Despite the fact that having a representative democracy has benefited Canada's society, the country appears to have a "democratic deficit." Trust in the Canadian government and public institutions has been steadily declining in recent years, as Canadians have become increasingly dissatisfied with their democracy, as indicated by increased political skepticism and reduced voter turnout. In Canada, some persons or groups may be more well-represented than others. One of the main causes of this problem is that some groups are more densely populated than others, resulting in policies and laws that do not cater to all citizens. Factors such as Covid-19 can also be another reason why Canada suffers from democratic This study source was downloaded by 100000818713535 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2024 08:21:21 GMT -06:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/136174545/badm-3200-assignment-1-1docx/ deficit. Many policies were made during this time that don’t benefit all of Canada's citizens. Canadians were so unsatisfied by these policies that it led to many riots and protests. Work Cited Longley, R. (2021, August 3). What's the good and bad side of representative democracy? ThoughtCo, from https://www.thoughtco.com/representative-democracy-definition-pros-cons4589561 This study source was downloaded by 100000818713535 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2024 08:21:21 GMT -06:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/136174545/badm-3200-assignment-1-1docx/ Gaille, L. (2019, December 16). 13 advantages and disadvantages of representative democracy. Vittana.org. Retrieved from https://vittana.org/13-advantages-and-disadvantages-ofrepresentative-democracy Stevenson, G. (2006, February 7). Political campaigning in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/politicalcampaign Béland, |B. D. (2020, March 4). Canada's Democratic deficit. Policy Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.policymagazine.ca/canadas-democratic-deficit/ Canada's political system. Canada's political system | Elections Canada's Civic Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://electionsanddemocracy.ca/parliament/canadas-political-system This study source was downloaded by 100000818713535 from CourseHero.com on 02-08-2024 08:21:21 GMT -06:00 https://www.coursehero.com/file/136174545/badm-3200-assignment-1-1docx/ Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
