What Factors accont for the longevity of Conservative Party rule in Ontario in the post – part 5
Posted by admin in Description EssayGiven a high percentage of "don’t know" responses, these results must be considered tentative, but it would appear that councils do have a partisan bias. Lightbody notes that in Edmonton, as in other Canadian cities, municipal elections "are essentially a middle class sport." (Coleman et al 1990) Between 1974 and 1984, "87 per cent of successful candidacies have come from professional (including teachers) or business ranks." (Coleman et al 1990) Although Lightbody cautions the reader that such crude data tell nothing of the ideological orientation of the councillors, one could safely predict that this class of councillors is more likely to identify with the Liberals or the Progressive Conservatives than with the New Democrats. (Coleman et al 1990) However, until there is a further examination of the federal and provincial party affiliations of municipal councillors, the extent and strength of the partisan bias in municipalities can only be a subject of speculation.
The proponents of party politics maintain that at the local level, parties can perform functions that are just as important in making government responsive and accountable as the party functions carried out at the provincial and federal levels. At election time they provide comprehensive platforms so that voters can make considered decisions. If a party captures a majority of council seats, the electorate expects its members to transform platform planks into concrete municipal policies. It is argued that while a nonpartisan independent candidate might offer a comprehensive program, it is more difficult to predict the effect of his or her election, since other councillors will be motivated by their own, possibly incompatible, political philosophies and goals.
A majority party can be held accountable for its actions; if it does not perform as promised, the electorate can penalize the party by not voting for its candidates in the next election. A nonpartisan system, it is argued, lends itself to diffused responsibility; each incumbent can claim that a much better set of programs would have been produced if she or he had been supported by other council members. Another argument is that parties democratize the political process by selecting candidates who appeal to diverse social and economic sectors of the electorate. In other words, a well-balanced party ticket includes representatives from business, labour, and various ethnic factions.
