The Importance of Party DisciplineEssay Preview: The Importance of Party DisciplineReport this essayThe Importance of Party DisciplineCanada is one of the largest and most culturally diverse countries in the world. These characteristics make the democratic governing of the country a difficult task. A democratic model is needed that respects the fundamental rights and freedoms of various diverse cultures, and unites these cultures over a huge land mass as Canadians. To do this the Canadian government is one which is pluralist. Pluralism is the ideology that groups, (in Canadas case political parties), should rule in government. These parties help protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of everyone living in Canada, regardless of their ethnicity, or religious beliefs. The role political parties play in Canada is vital for maintaining democracy, and party discipline is what keeps these parties together.
Practicalities of Political Parties In Canada the process of political party formation is quite long. The process starts with the creation of parliamentary parties. These parties are organized in provinces, the territories, and the continental United States of America. When Parliament is formed the party process is a matter of choice. In addition to a provincial government which represents the interests of an entire province the party must represent the province of its constituent. Members can be of any political movement on a party (with the exception of the party itself), and, as members are given broad power with a majority the party may select its leader. The election process can be very complex, as some of the members of the party are elected in their home province, which then becomes a provincial government. If the leader of the party chooses to support a particular candidate the result would be a national election. The leader of a party may then pick the leader of the other party (or both) under a series of rules, and the decision of the leader to follow another party’s rules is announced. This process of choosing the party leader is often carried out outside politics, but is essential for the successful formation of parties in our own country. The leadership of a party is a key element of party governing in a democracy. This means electing, in a majority government for party president, three members of the Senate to preside over the party election. The Senate is composed of representatives of one particular branch of the opposition party, for instance the NDP and Green Party. A minority of the Senators to preside over the election committee is chosen and must represent the interests of all persons residing in the province who do not have a permanent seat in Parliament. In the case of a government of one party the majority of the Senate may elect two members of the cabinet, which of those two will be his or her leader. The process of selecting which one of the three Senate members will serve as leader of the government is governed by laws, which are not based on party discipline. It may be suggested that a party may elect three members of the house or the senate if the government was not dissolved. This process is very complex, as some of the majority may represent a certain percentage of a party. However, the process of choosing a leader determines the number of Senators to be the party’s representative in Parliament. As mentioned above a party may nominate only one or two members of the house or senate, and that one or two members can only serve as its leader. However, the number of Senators may vary and can vary significantly. For instance, two thirds of the House will be Senators of the NDP, and the half of the House of Commons will be Senators of the Green Party. In some jurisdictions the leadership of a large party may be determined by a very small number of members; therefore a smaller minority of the House may not be as important as the one majority considered by the leader of the government of a party. However, such a form of governing is what has allowed Canada to be a democratic country for over three centuries. We have experienced how powerful the Liberal Party in Canada can be. It is important for us to understand these factors and to apply them in our own country. Our Party, however, must not be divided along ideological lines; in our country there must always be a Liberal Party as a powerful force. This approach to our party model also means that we must learn not only the nature of our Canadian values like the values of our international community, but also the way of our Canadian government. We must learn that we have always done just that, and not change what we do in our own country. This article was written for The Canadian Press, the publication of this essay is sponsored by the University of Saskatchewan’s Student
Party discipline is defined as, “the ability of the leader in a democratic state to enforce obedience on his or her followers in the legislature and in the party organization,” (Jackson, Conlin). Simply put, party discipline is the principle that all members of a specific party follow similar guides and vote in the same way. This practice has received a lot of criticism from different people who believe that almost forcing members of parliament to vote in a particular way is a violation of their constitutional rights and degrades democracy. In reality however, party discipline is necessary if a pluralist parliamentary system like that of Canada is to work. Party discipline is an important practice in the Canadian political system because it forces elected members of parliament to make predictable and stable decisions and increases the overall efficiency of the democratic process.
When politicians make decisions they follow guidelines set by their political party. Without these guidelines, and party whips to insure the practice of the guidelines, politicians would be free to vote whichever way they choose. This would mean that the justification as well as actual decision varies among individuals regardless of which party they are affiliated with. The principles used to determine the best decision are based on the personal opinion of the politicians. People in general have a tendency to have liberal opinions on one issue, yet conservative opinions on another, for example, someone who believes same sex marriage should be illegal, does not necessarily believe that abortion should be illegal. Party discipline forces politicians to neglect the principles that may cause them to vote the “wrong” way, and makes their actions somewhat predictable.
Predictable actions from representatives in office are advantageous to Canadians because they know ahead of time what their vote is going to accomplish for them. In the absence of party discipline, where representatives vote for what they feel is the right decision, voters cannot account for what the person they are voting for will do in a given situation. By adhering to general party lines, voters have an idea of what kinds of decisions will be made by parliament. Jackson and Conlin write:
“MPs do not and should not directly represent their individual constituencies, provinces, or even particular regions, polling on every issue to see how they should vote. Rather they are members of a particular party that provides broad perspectives on national issues” (Jackson, Conlin).
It is easy to see the impracticality of a system where proper representation would require a polling of all people within the effected region, especially in a country as large as Canada. Canadians are “polled” when they vote, in the sense that they chose a party platform that they want to represent them, and not an individual. This is not a critique of the Canadian system, it is widely accepted by Canadians that the way the system is set up, voting for a party whose platform is closest to ones personal beliefs is more important than looking at the personal opinions of candidates. This is discussed when Jackson and Conlin write, “one report found that shortly after an election, fewer than two-thirds of respondents could correctly give the name of their recently elected MP,” (Jackson, Conlin). The individual is of minimal significance when considering who to vote for in an election. Canadians can vote with confidence because they know politicians actions will fall in line with the ideology of their respective party, which they have elected to become government.
By electing an individual who is free to make decisions based on his or her own morality and reason, voters would actually be compromising their freedom. Citizens would have no confidence in their representatives because the MP would be free to make decisions that are not subject to any guidelines or standards. Party discipline unites the country by having voters from various backgrounds and beliefs elect a political party into office. It is not as easy for individuals to relate to a candidate; it is much easier for individuals to relate to a political party, with a very general platform. Voters chose a political party based on how well they identify with the partys platform. Party discipline insures that this platform will be represented in parliamentary session, and thus the individuals needs, wants, and concerns are accurately represented.
Voters are not the only people who benefit from the practice of party discipline. The practice is also fundamentally important for the stability of the Canadian government. Being a pluralist country means there are groups (political parties) of differing ideologies that represent citizens in parliament. However, since there are so many parties in Canada, it is common that the party with the most seats has fewer than the combined total seats won by other parties. A minority government occurs when less than fifty percent of the seats go to the political party that has formed the government. If a governing party has less than fifty percent of the seats, then it is a minority government because there are more opposing seats, that is, there are more seats that belong to political parties that are not the governing party. Minority governments are problematic for governing MPs because they have to constantly satisfy other political parties in order to maintain confidence with the legislative assembly. If the other political parties are not satisfied with the governing minority party, they could vote non-confidence which could lead to an election. These challenges that minority governments face can be reasonably managed only if there is a strong party discipline.
Jackson and Conlin write, “The government must therefore enforce party discipline [] for the sake of its own self-preservation,” (Jackson, Conlin). What they mean is that in a minority government,