Consequences of Electoral Reform: Lessons for Canada

Ailsa Henderson

Canadian Public Policy, 2006, vol. 32, issue 1, pages 41-58

Abstract: An informed policy debate about electoral reform in Canada must acknowledge the likely impact of any potential new system. Recent attention at the provincial level and from the Law Commission to a mixed electoral system warrants an examination of how such a system might alter Canadian politics. Although advocates of reform argue that proportional representation will increase proportionality, help smaller parties, increase the number of female representatives, increase turnout and improve attitudes toward politics, there is inconsistent evidence that a change in the electoral system alone would produce such changes. Although a mixed system would likely increase the proportionality of results, and would help smaller parties gain representation in any legislature, it may bring some unexpected findings as well. The following article identifies the claims of advocates we might expect to be true and those about which we should be more cautious.

Date: 2006
View list of references

Downloads: (external link)
http://economics.ca/cgi/jab?journal=cpp&view=v32n1/CPPv32n1p041.pdf Full text (application/pdf)
No access restriction except for the four most recent issues.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cpp:issued:v:32:y:2006:i:1:p:41-58

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.utpjournals.com/cpp/

Access Statistics for this article

Canadian Public Policy is edited by James B. Davies

More articles in Canadian Public Policy from University of Toronto Press
Address: University of Toronto Press Journals Division 5201 Dufferin Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3H 5T8
Series data maintained by Prof. Werner Antweiler ().