elections

Former Liberal and Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Blair Wilson, 45, has officially joined the Green Party of Canada (GPC) as the party's first-ever MP. The GPC is now arguing that it has met all of the criteria to be included in the leaders' debates in any upcoming election (which could happen as early as October 14th of this year). That criteria includes fielding candidates in every riding in Canada, receiving federal funding due to a new election financing law, and obtaining a seat in the House of Commons.  read more »

The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy did this wonderful study on how little US middle-class citizens know about current US public policy. Apparently, 72% of them couldn't name a bill that was passed within the last two years that benefited them. I can't imagine the picture to be all that different in Canada given my experience discussing politics with middle-class Canadians. This might not be surprising but what strikes me is not the severity of the disconnect between public awareness and public policy, it's the conviction people still have about whom they will or will not vote for regardless of such. If more than 50% of the population turn out to vote during the next US federal election I'll be surprised. And I'll be surprised of how many citizens feel comfortable voting even without much awareness of what bills either presidential candidates (or the members of their respective parties) have voted to pass or what actual policies they will push to implement if elected.

This brings me to a hunch I want to prove: that people are just too arrogant or presumptuous about what they believe in general.  read more »