Electoral systems are the oldest and arguably the most important institution of a democratic nation. The right to vote is quintessential to democracy itself, however, how that vote is translated into political power depends on what type of electoral system is being used. For example in a proportional system (PR), 40% of the vote will translate into 40% of the seats in the legislature. This does not occur in the first past the post (FPTP) system whereby …showed first 75 words of 1296 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1296 total…political power, providing voters with more choices and allowing more segments of society to earn a seat in the legislature are all important in providing long-term stability for democracy. When government is not representative, it is more likely to ignore large segments of society and citizens are more likely to reject the legitimacy of politics. Canada in particular has a responsibility to allow for fair representation of such a vast and richly diverse multi-cultural society.