Money in Politics
... Although there is a growing awareness about the problems
of party finance in Africa, solutions have not fully emerged.
Approaches taken in more developed democracies—including legal restrictions, reporting requirements, and public
financing of parties—have not proven a panacea; rather,
they are tools ...
Canada has a parliamentary system within the context of a
... Since the early 20th century, the growth of Canada's manufacturing, mining, and service sectors
has transformed the nation from a largely rural economy to an urbanized, industrial one. Like
many other developed nations, the Canadian economy is dominated by the service industry,
which employs about t ...
Americanand CanadianElection Laws
... provincial elections (Quebec and British Columbia are recent examples) where a party won more seats
with fewer overall votes than another party. At the federal level in Canada, however, the fact that three
or four parties are in play for seats means that a governing party
will rarely obtain an absol ...
Politics of Canada
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state. The country has a multi-party system in which many of its legislative practices derive from the unwritten conventions of and precedents set by Great Britain's Westminster Parliament. However, Canada has evolved variations: party discipline in Canada is stronger than in the United Kingdom and more parliamentary votes are considered motions of confidence, which tends to diminish the role of non-Cabinet Members of Parliament (MPs). Such members, in the government caucus, and junior or lower-profile members of opposition caucuses, are known as backbenchers. Backbenchers can, however, exert their influence by sitting in parliamentary committees, like the Public Accounts Committee or the National Defence Committee. The two dominant political parties in Canada have historically been the Liberal Party of Canada and Conservative Party of Canada (or its predecessors), however, as of the 2011 election the social-democratic New Democratic Party (NDP) has risen to prominence. This rise of prominence mirrors a historic decline in the Liberal party's popularity. Smaller parties like the Quebec nationalist Bloc Québécois, the Green Party of Canada, and Strength in Democracy can exert their own influence over the political process.