Consequences of Electoral Reform: Lessons for Canada

Ailsa Henderson

Canadian Public Policy, 2006, vol. 32, issue 1, 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
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3552242 (text/html)
only available to JSTOR subscribers

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

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

Access Statistics for this article

Canadian Public Policy is currently edited by Prof. Mike Veall

More articles in Canadian Public Policy from University of Toronto Press University of Toronto Press Journals Division 5201 Dufferin Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3H 5T8.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Iver Chong ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).