Political Parties, Representation, and Electoral Democracy in Canada

Rowan Shaw is a constituency assistant to a member of British
Columbia’s Legislative Assembly.

Canadian party politics are currently undergoing a dramatic shift that
began in the late 1980s. Political Parties, Representation, and
Electoral Democracy in Canada is about the ongoing battle to build a
more sustainable and representative party system as Canada charts new
waters into the 21st century. Edited by prominent Canadian political
scientist William Cross, the book succeeds in bringing together the
ideas and insights of 18 leading political scientists in a collection of
13 essays relating to the current state of political representation in
Canada.

This book focuses on new efforts being undertaken by political parties
to be more democratic in their way of operating and responding to the
electorate, which is moving away from a system under which individuals
show blind and unwavering support for a single party, or support for the
practices of the leading brokerage parties.

The range of essays Cross has included serve to cover the broad topic
very well. Each contributor provides a readable portrait of his or her
chosen area of research. The book will interest anyone who desires a
better knowledge of the changes Canada is realizing on the national
political stage.