Introduction
Different societies have adopted different forms of governance that are unique to their political and social situation.[1] At the turn of the 21st century, many people began to embrace democracy as a form of governance. The new form of governance was associated with many advantages that made it the favorite of many countries in the world. For example, the citizenry need to feel they belong to the power matrix in their respective nations.
To this end, democracy accords such people the luxury of contributing towards the installation of their preferred leadership in the country (Williams par. 1). What this means is that the people have control over the governance of their country. In such instances, the said people assemble and associate in formations that best articulate their issues. Such formations include, among others, political parties and civil rights groups.
In the process of their assembly, citizens are not always drawn from the same schools of thought. It is not uncommon to find people of different backgrounds and different political and philosophical leanings coalescing around one formation. For this purpose, people seek elective positions to address that which they feel needs to be tackled in their communities.
A case in point is when people seek elective positions through a given political formation (or political party) to address such issues as poverty and unequal distribution of resources in the community.
Woods (par. 2) suggests that persons are always welcome to make the public understand what needs to be done so as to improve their society. They are always welcome to make suggestions and take a lead in implementing the same. Democracy is one of the best avenues through which such people can provide solutions to challenges faced in their society.
In this paper, the author seeks to voice their opinion on matters touching on democracies. To achieve this objective, the author bears in mind that a democracy has its own elements and realities, which sets it apart from other forms of political governance in contemporary world.[2]
However, for the sake of this assignment, the author restricts themselves to one key element of a democracy, the political party. More specifically, the paper analyzes the political parties within the context of the Canadian form of democracy. The author is of the belief that political parties facilitate the democratic process in the country. However, the author acknowledges that, just like any other forms of governance, political parties and the democratic process in Canada have their own weaknesses.
Thesis Statement
Political parties facilitate the democratic process in Canada, although they have a number of weaknesses.
Political Parties at a Glance
As aforementioned, a political party is one of the most important elements of a democracy. Williams (par. 1) gives the example of the United States of America, describing it as a model country with respect to democracy and its processes. According to this author, a democracy is characterized by multiple parties.
Williams (par. 1) points out that America has 2 predominant political parties. On their part, European countries like Italy and France have numerous political parties as part of their democracy. The need to formulate policies within a society calls for offices of authority created through this political process.
In addition to Williams, there are other scholars who have conducted studies as far as the issue of political parties and democracies are concerned. One of them is Ryan. Ryan (par. 1) provides a working definition of the concept ‘political party’. The scholar describes it as an association or amalgamation of people who share common ideas on how best to run their society.[3] Ryan (par. 1) suggests that political parties are able to fulfill their ideas through a number of procedures.
One of them is by nominating one of their own and ensuring that the nominee is elected into the targeted office of authority. In this case, such an office may be one of a Mayor or a Prime Minister. The various political parties have to fight it out with each other to ensure that one of their own wins the elections.
To maximize their chances of capturing the elective seat, the individual political parties have to nominate one of their best candidates to run. The party settles on the individual whom they feel best represents their philosophy and the aspirations of the other members of the society. Once in office, the elected member is able to push for the agenda of their party over a period that they are expected to be in office.
Like any other institution, a political party is created with certain goals and objectives in mind. In fact, it is these goals and objectives that set the party apart from those others existing in the country. Some of the objectives are explicit, while others are implicit. For example, the political party may be formed with the desire to uplift the welfare of minority groups in the society. The parties have several roles that they play in a society.
For instance, Williams (par. 2) reaffirms the view that political parties are an avenue through which the ideological positions of a larger group of people find common ground. Through the political party, which is regarded as an institution in its own right, diverse ideas of a people are consolidated into a policy that has clarity. In this regard, political parties provide a sense of unity for the people. As indicated earlier in this paper, the parties bring people from different backgrounds, but who share the same vision or philosophy, together.
Another role played by political parties is the nurturing and selection of future leaders in the society (Ryan par. 1). As a result of their affiliation to the political institution, members are trained on the ideals that their party is created to actualize. An example of such a role is seen in the Communist Party in China (Williams par. 3).
In such cases, senior members of the institution recruit younger members who they can groom and mentor for future leadership. During such ‘training’ processes, the younger members are able to understand the various facets of politics and are best suited to provide alternative leadership in the years to come.
Different societies have different sizes of population. As a result of the diverse nature of the population, there is need for the government to come up with a form of identification for all of them. Political parties are able to provide a platform for identification (Williams par. 5).
One can argue that political parties play the same role as a commercial brand. In this regard, voters are able to associate a candidate nominated for an electoral position with the ideals they stand for. An example of this is found in Canada and its political parties. The New Democratic Party is one of the country’s many political parties.[4]
The party is largely associated with moderate socialism and mixed economic practices (New Democratic Party of Canada par. 1). As a result of this, any candidate seeking an elective office courtesy of this party is identified by the said ideals. What this means is that citizens regard a member of the New Democratic Party as an epitome of moderate socialism and mixed economic practices.
At this juncture, the author of this paper affirms that societies have various issues that need to be addressed. Political parties are used to address some of these issues. It is important to note that people need to come up with prudent ways through which they can resolve the said issues.
After critically analyzing the roles that political parties play in a democracy, Lowi (par. 2) believes that the institutions are important in determining the power structure of the society. Through the elective process, policies are laid out to govern the society. At the same time, there emerges an alternative voice of reason from the parties that did not get the ultimate mandate to govern.
The Democratic Process in Canada
According to Rand (3), Canada has a unique form of democracy. It is characterized by both a parliamentary and a federal system of governance. In addition, the country is in itself a constitutional monarchy. The Queen of England is the current monarch in the country.[5] Nonetheless, the party system in the country is structured in such a way that Canada is a multi-party democracy.[6] The same has evolved over the years from the Westminster version of governance.
Rand (4) points out that the government in this country is organized in four different ways. The first level of organization is the monarchy. The level is headed by the Queen of Canada. The second tier is the executive. It is headed by a Prime Minister. In addition, there is a legislature where laws governing the country are enacted.
Finally, there are minority and majority governments (Rand 17). In the context of the Canadian democratic process, citizens are entitled to elect a Prime Minister alongside members of the legislature. The many political parties in the country nominate suitable candidates who eventually vie in the elections. Elections in the country are governed by the Canadian Election’s Act (Woods par. 2).
An analysis of the Canadian government reveals that it derives most of its powers from the legislature and the executive. As a result of this, it is obvious that democracy is an important facet of the country’s political organization. To this end, political parties cannot be ignored with regard to the contribution they make towards the democratic process.
At present, there are four main political parties that influence the Canadian democratic process (Rand 23). They include the Liberal Party and the Bloc Quebecois. The other two are the Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party. They are the main players in the country’s political scene.
Political Parties Facilitate the Democratic Process in Canada
In Canada, most of the contentious issues, such as the economy and security, are addressed by the executive and legislative arms of government (Layton 15). It is important to appreciate that a lot needs to be done to improve the manner in which the country is governed. It is obvious that democracy in Canada is here to stay.
The best example to illustrate that Canadians prefer democracy over other forms of governance is the rise of the New Democratic Party. Despite the myriad of challenges the country faces economically, citizens have, over the years, indicated their support for this party.
The New Democratic Party, as already indicated in this paper, supports moderate socialism and a mixed form of economy (New Democratic Party of Canada par. 1). The two are fundamental issues that resonate with many citizens in the country. The consolidation of ideas is one of the roles played by political parties in any particular democracy. The New Democratic Party of Canada has effectively played this role.
Therefore, the hypothesis that political parties facilitate the democratic process in Canada stands. It is a fact that there are various contentious issues in the country. Political parties offer the best avenue through which solutions to these issues are formulated and debated. The Canadian populace has various options to choose from due to the multi-party system adopted in the country.
Conclusion
The democratic process in Canada is regarded highly by many governments in the world. The same was witnessed when Canada was called upon to send a team of observers to Ukraine to assess the parliamentary elections held in 2012. Such a gesture affirms how the Canadian democratic process is regarded highly in the world.
In this paper, the author argued that such high regard is made possible (or facilitated) by the participation of political parties. Nonetheless, political parties in the country, like other institutions, require reform. Canadians can reform their political parties to improve the country’s democratic process.
Works Cited
Layton, Jack. Speaking Out: Ideas That Work for Canadians, Ontario: Quill & Quire, 2004. Print.
Lowi , Shepsle. American Government, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010. Print.
New Democratic Party of Canada 2013, History. Web.
Rand, Dyck. Canadian Politics, Michigan: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
Ryan, Victor 2006, What is a Political Party?Web.
Williams, Sam 2013, Role of Political Parties in Democracies. Web.
Woods, Allan 2013, Quebec Elections Rife with Allegations of Intimidation, Thuggery. Web.
Footnotes
- There are four major forms of governance. They are democracy, aristocracy, authoritarianism, and oligarchy. Others include theocracy and anocracy.
- Democracy has 6 important elements. They include the rule of law, respect for human dignity, and political equality. Political freedom, common good, and being informed are other elements of democracy.
- A society may vary in this regard, depending on the size of the populace. Political parties can have a small reach, for example, within a municipality. They can also extend their reach to a whole country. The geographical size of a society varies.
- Canada has a multi-party system of democracy. There are many political parties in the country that have permission to conduct their affairs.
- Canada became a constitutional monarchy given that it was once a member of the British Empire.
- The legislative process in Canada was formerly designed along Westminster lines. However, over the years, the country has formulated its own parliamentary process of making laws in a way that is an improvement of the Westminster style.