Catch-All

Posted: January 4th, 2023

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Part I

Catch-All

Catch-all party is applicable in reference to the policy of a political system of allowing or promoting a wide spectrum of opinions among all affiliates. The approach differs with other parties that safeguard a determined ideology and want to relate with voters who follow the perception and encourage the electorates to embrace it (Lecture 2020-9-16). The catch-all system emerged with the formation mass parties, which allowed those with adequate resources to have substantial influence on those that could not sustain their wants and ideologies (Lecture 2020-9-16). Two parties dominate at the federal level in the Canadian politics. Both the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party practice brokerage politics in the way they attract support from a wide range of electorates. A common feature among the catch-all parties is that embrace flexible ideologies, values, and identities that make them appealing to people of diverse backgrounds. Other Canadian political parties such as New Democratic Party, the Bloc Quebecois, and the Communist Party of Canada have representatives in the far-left, the far right, and the House of Commons (Gagnon and Tanguay 71). However, the supporters of separatist politics, such as the Quebec sovereignty movement have never ascended to higher levels in Canadian politics and society, and have never neither had the opportunity to be part of the government nor send a representative to the Canadian environment. A comparison of the opportunities the political approaches bring to team members suggests that brokerage is an effective technique if a party wants to have more supporters and increase its chances of forming the government. Nonetheless, it is important to consider some of the weaknesses of a catch-all party such as the possible rebellion by some affiliates who may not support a particular ideology or policy.  

Party Polarized Pluralism

Polarized pluralism refers to a situation where two or multiple parties emerge as highly polarized and, therefore, unable to function properly. Often, party polarized pluralism would distribute power evenly only with a slight margin. In a typical situation, most people would either lean towards the right or left wing (Johnston 66). Nevertheless, if the party or country becomes polarized the parties go separate way, and a gap remains in between. In such a condition, one side will assume more authority than the other party, compelling many electorates to follow them (Lecture 2020-9-23). The party system in Canada is a perfect example of party polarized pluralism whose primary aspect is dominated by a political party of the center, often the Liberalists (Johnston 71). Over the recent past, the party system in Canada has increasingly polarized compelling it to organize its political activities around right-left ideologies and class. Initially, the country and its political system was one of the least polarized in the whole world. The Liberal Party dominated political activities for more than one hundred years, and Quebec provided vital support to put the group ahead of competitors because it provided the Liberals with all of its seats, such that the province alone put the dominant party half way to the top (Johnston 74). Polarization increased after more parties entered the political arena hoping to attract more voters using their ideologies. For example, the Conservative Party became more vocal in its practices, same to the New Democratic Party. These parties sometimes join forces and then disagree resulting in division and party polarized pluralism. A possible explanation for polarization is the Duverger’s law, which asserts that the voting system determines how voters align to either two parties or multiple groups (Lecture2020-9-23). Canada embraces a system where voters follow two major parties, and where polarization is high.

Mediatization

Mediatization of politics is an intricate process that is closely connected to the availability of the sense that media is part of the society and has significant roles in influencing political activities. It has a different meaning from mediation, which is the natural process through which the media gathers news and communicate them to their audiences. The escalating penetration of media into political activities in Canada and other parts of the world has led evaluators to worry about the technique of the media-propagated society, in which mass media will take the roles of political parties and institutions in a democratic and liberal society. Nonetheless, investigation shows that political groups in many countries have retained their roles and powers in the advent of broadened media power. The appropriate description for the term is mediatization where political groups increasingly depend on and are influenced by mass media, but still take charge of their political functions and processes. Consequently, the utilization of the strategic frame in news events has expanded, and it has been employed by political (party) leaders into their own conversations during debates. Also, mediatization has resulted in a situation where journalists increase how they analyze the views of political leaders, thus rendering debates by politicians less appropriate and factual. Others feel that the increased role of the media help political parties to relay their agenda fast, conveniently, and effectively. However, many still have mixed reactions regarding the effects of mediatization on building national agenda with some factions already feeling that politics is highly dependent on media sources.

Interest

The idea of interest is certainly one which is of significant value in both political theory and political practices. General interest in the political arena can be perceived as the foundation both for democracy and for identity accomplishments as the result of the progression of identity formation. Interest could mean a rush for economic infrastructure with the objective of amercing more resources (Lecture 2020-10-07). Therefore, political interest is a vital prerequisite for the desirable features of an accountable and democratic person. Often, the primary aim for developing interest in financial gains one could get by supporting particular ideology (Lecture 2020-10-07). Interest creates the urge to partake in political activities, and, and shows the ability to stand with the ideologies and practices of a particular movement. It emerges that political interest is not only important for the presence, but for the development of a political identity where people appreciate democracy. Moreover, achieving identity requires dedication and exploration to acquire as much information as possible. Political interests act as the inherent forces for exploration, without which it would be difficult to achieve identity. Typically interest generates concerns regarding the political processes, political structures and systems, and newcomers in political leadership. Besides, interest lead citizens to compare ideological perceptions, examine their merits and demerits, and ultimately to make a dedication and attain political identity. It happens that the lack of political interest makes it hard to achieve political identity, without knowing what to say, think, believe, or where to place one’s commitment. Moreover, people of the same interest must have the same ideologies rather than contrasting views to achieve the same political objectives (Lecture 2020-10-07). Finally, it is important to mention that interest in politics escalates with increased development.

Co-optation

Co-optation in political terms refers to the act of adding new members to the original group at the pleasure of existing members, often to lessen the effect of opposition and to enhance the group’s stability. A political party may co-opt outside members by providing them with some sense of power depending on their influence, knowledge, or capacity to distract aspirations and commitments. Co-option may be common in protest and social movement groups where teams come together to advocate for their ideologies. Nonetheless, the socioeconomic status of a party may determine how they co-opt with others and make influential decisions (Lecture 2020-10-07). Co-option among political parties may entail giving one of its members, or an individual it adores, a fundamental function in the formation or execution of a change (Gagnon and Tanguay 343). Co-optation is not the same as participation because the initiator does not need the guidance of the adopted party apart from their support. Co-optation could also mean the acculturation of inferior or insignificant groups with similar interests, views, and ideologies. Similarly, the term may refer to the practice by which one party gets new team members from another team by imitating some features of it without absorbing all aspects (Gagnon and Tanguay 343). Canadian leaders, especially in the Liberal movement, practice co-option in the way it works with many smaller groups to create a country where as many citizens as possible have the chance to contribute towards political practices. However, critics feel that co-optation has both direct and indirect negative implications on the achievement of social justice for the larger aboriginal community. The Canadian government formulated a task force to handle all the political aspirations and needs of the aboriginal people, yet some view this as a political strategy to instill bureaucratic systems on the community.

Part II – Why the Liberals have won More Federal Elections that the Conservatives

Introduction

The Liberal Party of Canada has served as the longest active political party in Canadian history. It has dominated political activities in the country for so many years, with the party retaining power for nearly seventy years in the twentieth century alone. The Party enjoys its position as the longest serving political movement in the country, and is proud of the support it receives from some of the most influential provinces in the country (Lecture 2020-09-30). The Liberals take time to develop policies that would appeal to most people, and device structures to implement them. The liberal approach gives it competitive advantage over the Conservatives who need to overcome certain obstacles if they want to move from the opposition to the government. The long-serving Liberal Party has gained trust and confidence among the Canadians that is difficult for the Conservative to overcome, which puts it at a better position to win federal elections.  

Why Liberals Win Most Elections

One major factor that gives the Liberal Party advantage over the Conservatives is that it has served for many decades as opposed to the latter that was founded in 2003. The Liberals started their operations in the 19^th century after a group of reformers who championed for better leadership and democracy joined forces to form a team. Some scholars even argue that the liberal order started to develop during the early modern period (16^th century), thus giving it better advantage over competitors (Lecture 2020-09-30). The Liberal Party has played important functions in advocating for Canadian sovereignty and for promoting progressive social growth. The Party was instrumental in promoting bilingualism in the country and the passage of the Official Languages Act in 1969 under the leadership of Pierre Trudeau permitted the use of both English and French as the official languages. The Party made considerable achievements in selling its ideologies from 1993 to 2003 when Prime Minister Jean Chretien ascended to power. Chretien eradicated the Goods and Services Tax and facilitated the development of better trading policies such as the 1994 north America Free Trade Agreement. The opportunity to serve for many years gives the Liberal Party an opportunity to use the experience it has gained over the years to plan its political strategies and to win elections.

The Liberal Party got the opportunity to strengthen its popularity in the 90s and got better chances to win federal elections because of the fall of the major political alliance of conservative populists, and other political groupings in the country that had provided massive support to the Progressive Conservatives (PC) in the 1980s (Gagnon and Tanguay 146). The PC disintegrated further due to lack of adequate support and rebranded as the Reform Party. However, the newly formed political movement failed to attract many people as citizens viewed its ideologies as being highly conservative (Gagnon and Tanguay 147). The Reform Party could not pose much threat to the Liberal Party even after restructuring as the Canadian Alliance. The disgruntlement within the PC provided the Liberals with an opportunity extend their influence and dominance across the country.

The Liberal Party’s primary ideology is liberalism, which advocates for increased individual and political freedom. The belief allows each citizen to receive equal treatment under the law regardless of their race, religion, social status, education, sexual orientation, and gender. The Party believes that the approach allows it to overcome traditional beliefs and conservatives perceptions that may derail the attempts to achieve a free society (Lecture 2020-09-30). The Liberal Party perceives liberalism as a suitable strategy for achieving some of its aspirations such as improving human rights, developing free trade, fostering democracy, and promoting gender equality. The Liberals won a tussle between those supporting the Conservative order and the Liberal order leading a group of capitalists to emerge as the victors. The dominant Party feels that its principle of liberalism provides a better opportunity to speak against undesirable practices such as racism, denial of freedom of speech and worship, and violation of civil rights.

The other advantage that the Liberal Party capitalizes on is its development of policies that appeal to many people. For instance, the Party developed and campaigned for a policy that it believed would improve the lives of all Canadians during the 2015 federal elections. The Party promised to lower taxation on middle income earners from 22% to 20%, and to further refine taxation policies to allow citizens enjoy a bigger portion of their income. The Party set goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through partnership with various provinces, while acknowledging the global concern to mitigate climate change. The Liberal Party promised to spend billions of dollars in improving infrastructure, youth infrastructure, and lower unemployment rates. Moreover, the Party under Justin Trudeau who garnered most of the seats in the House of Commons promised to fully legalize cannabis, advance home acre services, promote international peace, and create a child benefit system that would benefit most Canadian children. However, that does not imply that the Conservative Party under Stephen Harper failed to develop an appealing manifesto during the 2015 elections. Harper and his team made a better offer for Canadians by stating that those who work 30 hours or below each week will be exempted from income tax. The Conservatives promised to create as more as 3 million new jobs. Harper’s team equally promised to invest further in education, sports and heritage, defense, infrastructure, and foreign affairs. However, the effective policy did not deter the Liberals from garnering 184 seats against the Conservatives. The win could be attributed to the fact that many people have already developed a sense of attachment with the party, and would elect a leader under this political umbrella without paying much attention to what the other policies say.

The other advantage that allows the Liberal Party to win most elections in Canada is that it enjoys the support of Quebec and Ontario that have the majority of seats in the House of Commons. These two provinces have the largest population and their support for the Liberals makes it difficult create even a minority government without adequate backing from these two influential areas (Gagnon and Tanguay 217). No party in Canadian history has ever created a majority government without garnering most of the slots in either Quebec or Ontario. Whereas it may be possible to create a minority government without much support from either of the provinces, such a practice is usually hard, and rarely happens (Gagnon and Tanguay 218). The strong support the Liberal Party receives from both dominant provinces provides it with the chance to win each time the country conducts a federal election.

Challenges for Conservatives

The Conservative Party has its strengths, but must put more effort to overcome its challenges as well. One of the major hurdles for the Conservative Party is gaining more support base, especially in the two dominant provinces, Ontario and Quebec. The Conservatives started very strongly in Quebec, but its prominence dwindled over time due to rebellions and non-inclusive and ineffective electoral rules (Lecture 2020-09-16). The many years the Liberal Party has contributed towards Canadian politics has instilled the notion that it is the party to beat, and unless a movement develops a really compelling plan that attracts the largest population it may be difficult to overthrow its reign. It may be difficult to overturn the perception that the Liberal Party is the country’s natural governing party in acknowledgement of the fact that it has held power for the longest time in Canadian history. Unless the Conservative develops a technique to gain more support from the electorates, it may still not win any federal election.

The other challenge that the Conservative Party must overcome is lack of the public confidence in some of its policies as compared to the Liberal’s. The Liberal Party sells itself as a more liberal party that focuses on social progress and financial responsibility. Besides, the Conservatives seem to pay attention to preserving its interests and ideologies whereas the Liberals focuses on economic prosperity through the development of infrastructure and other amenities, which gives the latter much advantage (Lecture 2020-09-16). It even happens that before the emergence of mass parties the Conservative Party was in the forefront of resisting some of the proposed economic developments, which denied it fame and prominence (Lecture 2020-09-16). The Liberal Party is strengthening its position in the political arena by promoting policies that encourage a free market where local and international traders benefit from their practices.

Conclusions

The Liberal Party enjoys several advantages that provides it with the chance to win nearly all elections in the history of Canada. The political movement’s policy attracts many people who feel that the Party has good plans for them. The Liberal Party enjoys a huge support from the residents of Quebec and Ontario that have much influence in the voting pattern, which increases its chances of winning many elections. The Liberal approach the Liberal Party takes as it primary ideology puts it ahead of the rest, and makes it the favorite movement among most Canadian voters. The Conservatives have a difficult task of winning the public’s confidence considering that it only started its operations in 2003. The group must refine some of its policies that many citizens think are less appealing compared to that of the Liberal Party.

Works Cited

Gagnon, Alain-G. and Tanguay Brian. Canadian Parties in Transition. University of Toronto Press, 2017.

Johnston, Richard. “Polarized Pluralism in the Canadian Party System.” Canadian Journal of Political Science, vol. 41, no. 4, 2008, pp. 64-83.

Lecture 2020-9-16

Lecture2020-9-23

Lecture 2020-09-30

Lecture 2020-10-07