Canada's first-past-the-post election system feeds hostility, says one expert
Canada's first-past-the-post election system feeds hostility, says one expert
First-past-the-post feeds negative campaigning and attack politics, says author and electoral reform advocate.
It isn't as bad up here as in America because we haven't yet devolved into a two party system but it feels inevitable with our election system. When you attack a political opponent you damage them and yourself - it never looks good to be focused on picking apart an opponent instead of boosting yourself... in a multi-party system this means that you're helping someone else more whenever you're running attack ads. Trudeau fear mongering about the CPC helps boost the NDP more than the LPC.
When you have a two party system that effect is removed. Both Trump and Biden are primarily running on how awful the other dude is without being held to account on their own policy stances... one of them is clearly worse but it's a deeply unhealthy political system.
(Just as an FYI, I'm a Canadian immigrant from the US - I'm now a citizen and I've experienced both systems).
One major difference between Canada and the US is the Westminster parliamentary system and the fact that we don't have a quasi religious commitment to a piece of paper and founding daddy issues. The two party system will probably never become as ironclad as in the US because we don't have the Imperial Presidency where every election is an event of cosmic proportions. Instead our system has a lot more space for power sharing (minority governments, coalitions, supply and support, etc). Plus Québec, which is literally Canada's saving grace, no matter what Canadians think. (New Canadian who loves QC here.)
imma jelly of that if you live in toronto
How many parties do you have?
Usually about three a week.
It's almost like a system that awards power on a winner-takes-all basis results in suboptimal representation of your population. Who would've though? /s
We need more than 2 choices at every one of the 338 riddings and more accountability for all politicians. I'm tired of toxic politics.
Couldn't agree more. Politics (and politicians by extension) should represent the constituents, not force the constituents to fit into one of two camps. The whole system is backwards currently and the sooner we fix it, the better we'll all be for it.
What boggles my mind though is that three consecutive pollings on electoral reform have failed here in BC (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/electoral-reform-referendum-results-1.4954538). You'd think people would like to get rid of FPTP but apparently they consistently vote in favor of the status quo.
As if the united states did not already show the problems of first-past-the-post on a massive scale...
That's why its important for them to support fairvote us to get ranked voting in. So they have a third viable candidate.
Remember when trudeau said "this will be the last FPTP election" (i'm paraphrasing)???
I actually believed him and held my nose and voted for him
I know! The biggest hostility in my mind is from everyone that voted for him hoping he would actually do something meaningful on electoral reform.