Abstract
This paper analyzes the symbolic and formal powers of the president of the United States as well as his relationship to the legislature and judiciary. It then looks at the power of the Canadian Parliament and the role of the prime minister within this system. Finally is compares the two in terms of "real power", which for the purposes of this analysis, is defined as the ability to effectively exert their influence to the extent that they can alter or control the political direction of their nations.

From the Paper
"America was founded on an intense distrust of government. The Revolution left them with a caustic distaste for a centralized system and thus is the basis for the underlying principle of their polity; which binds politicians and political bodies alike, not to a national government but to the Constitution. By contrast, Canada was founded on more peaceful circumstances. They did not share the Americans venomous hatred toward the Crown, rather their independence stemmed primarily from internal conflict. Ironically, the major external force that was a critical factor in their decision to confederate was the Americans themselves (since as it became apparent that the North was going to win the Civil War, the citizens of the provinces feared that the Americans would seize this opportunity to expand on their territory)! "

Tags:act, bna, constitution, political, politics, power, science

Abstract
In this article, the writer examines the inner mechanisms of the political system of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The writer maintains that there are several key factors that account for its undeniable success, the most prominent of which include its complex structure and diverse support base, its ability to be flexible, pragmatic and non-ideological, and its relatively weak, fragmented and unorganized competition. Furthermore, the party also possesses the extraordinary ability to overcome the plethora of political barriers and scandals they have faced. The writer concludes that the conservative foundation built by the Liberal-Democrats is firmly entrenched within Japanese culture and its structural fundamentals suggest that its enormous influence on Japanese life will remain for many more years to come.

From the Paper
"In additional, further bias of election law is evident in the mal-apportionment of Japanese electoral districts. A census, which dates back to 1946, has provided the framework for the current distribution of the lower house and the corresponding districts associated with them. At that time, rural communities were the dominant force of Japanese demographics due to the drastic decline in population of major urban centers, such as Nagasaki and Tokyo. This was due to the various ramifications of the Second World War, including, ordered civilian evacuations, the tens-of-thousands that had left to serve in the military and, most significantly, the atomic bomb which desecrated two entire Japanese cities in a matter of moments. Once the War had receded, the urban centers where swiftly repopulated. It did not take long until the cities had grown considerably since the pre-war era and despite this major demographic shift, the distribution and apportionment of seats for the House of Representatives has remained unchanged."

Tags:democracy, economy, conservative, culture

Abstract
This paper provides a brief insight into Cumberland-Colchester, a federal riding located at the Northern arm of Nova Scotia. In particular, it examines voting trends over the past 15 years, analyzing them in regard to other ridings and parties. It looks at how in rural areas like this where many generations of a family can live together in close proximity, as well as large groups of like minded religiosity, many stereotypes of voting practice can be found.

From the Paper
"The Ethnic backgrounds of Nova Scotians in this area are very homogeneous. With all but 1,430 (2%) of the 81,805 people counted in the 1996 census (Statistics Canada, 1996) reporting English as their dominant language spoken. There are more people who speak non- official languages in Northern Nova Scotia than there are French speaking people (79,610 English(97%), 770 French(1%), and 1,185(1.5%) Non- Official Language speakers (Statistics Canada, 1996)). With such an obvious difference in the numbers for each demographic it is little wonder why some of the statistics for the history of the riding are true. The entire riding is mostly rural in nature, with Truro, Amherst, and Springhill being the few major towns of the area. None of the communities in Cumberland-Colchester are large enough to be considered cities. This might account for the lack of major industry in the area."

Tags:elections, stereotypes, generations, federal

Abstract
The essay focuses on governmental representation of women in British Columbia. The central question is "What accounts for the dramatic increase of women in the legislature and, further, has that increase any short-term implications for the broader representation of women's interests?" The paper uses articles and texts by experts on the subject such as Linda Erickson (her article, "Parties, Ideology, and Feminist Action: Women and Political Representation in British Columbia Politics") and Jill Vickers' book, "Reinventing Political Science: a Feminist Approach".

From the Paper
"Erickson identifies a "rapidly developing society, a changing population base, and an economy driven by "industries and their exports" (108) as the driving forces behind the increased participation of women in the public sphere. BC's population increased and changed and due to migration, it became "ethnically and racially diverse" (Erikson 108). Erickson states that those changes have led to a less traditional BC community. She then specifies reasons leading to the raised presence of women in provincial politics; equal proportion of women to men, dominance of the service sector, urbanization, low birth rate, more women in higher education and higher incomes, (Erikson 108)."

Tags:Women's, Caucus, Ministry, of, Women's, Equality

Abstract
This paper outlines key social psychology principles found in Barry Levinson's 1997 film "Wag The Dog". These principles include heuristics, perceptions and changing people's beliefs and attitudes.The paper discusses where these principles were used throughout the movie.

From the Paper
"In a democratic society such as that of the United States of America, it is essential for those who want power to be able to sway and persuade others. No truer is this statement, than when in the context of the elections for the position of President of the United States. In Barry Levinson's 1997 film "Wag The Dog", it is only two weeks till the presidential election, and scandal is taking over the attention of the media. The incumbent president has a sex scandal on his hands that will surely affect the amount of votes he receives on election day. In order to deflect this unwanted attention, he hires a man named Conrad Brean, who has the ability to manipulate the media, and persuade the American people to think a certain way. By focusing on heuristics, social norms, and cognitive persuasion, Brean is able to alter the way people view the president, and garner their vote for the election."

Tags:dog, heuristics, ps270, psychology, social, wag

Abstract
This paper examines the factors that have contributed to the election of the same political party in Russia since the fall of Communism. Russia has been in an economic depression since the fall of the Soviet Union, yet the same party is re-elected through democratic vote. The reasons for this puzzling outcome are discussed in this paper and identified as using democracy to purge the conservative communists of their rank, old elites regaining state control and loyalty of those counting the votes. Each factor is discussed in great detail along with its contribution and impact on the electoral outcome. This paper is ideal for anyone, from a Russian politics expert to a curious novice.

From the Paper
"Mikhail Gorbachev, along with the Soviet leaders was the first to introduce semi competitive elections into the USSR and then later Russia. Although elections are a focal point of a democracy, they were not initiated by Gorbachev for this use. "The goal of these elections was to purge the conservative ranks of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from their positions of power within state structures as a way to liberate these state institutions and thereby make them available as instruments by executing Gorbachev's economic reforms" (McFaul and Petrov, 24). The existing powers of the Soviet Union at the time of the introduction of democracy were all communists, who held high political ranks. In order for Gorbachev to implement his reformation of the economy, these political figures needed to be removed from their ranks, otherwise there would be great opposition to the changes planned. When these leaders were removed, the state organizations were free from communist control and could be used in any way that Gorbachev desired."

Tags:authoritative, campaigns, communism, communists, competative, control, cpsu, democracy, depression, eastern, economic, elections, electoral, elites, europe, gorbachev, history, kramlin, leaders, power, process, putin, rank, russia, russian, soviet, state, studies, union, ussr, voters

Abstract
A paper that shows that in a world of expanding business and human mobility there is an increasing prevalence of corporations extending internationally, resulting in many political and social implications. The author finds that although conventionally, one would join a lobby firm in order to influence government policy through bureaucratic channels; in light of growing corporate globalization, one can argue that these conventional channels are no longer able to reflect the demands and interests of the general population. He finds that although lobby firms possess substantial resources in lobbying government, it is in the flexible structure of informal grassroots organizations that people will be able to influence policy in a globalized world. This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of transnational networks in influencing policy by highlighting the insufficiencies of lobby firms, outlining the characteristics of social movements that make them effective, and illustrating the application of these tactics in specific campaigns. Ultimately, it is in these informal movements that the demands of the general public will be heard. The paper focuses on Canada's experience.

From the Paper
"Ultimately, in a world increasingly dominated by multinational corporations, the future of public interests lies in the methods of grassroots organizations. Lobby firms have become ineffective in representing interests of the public, as they are now puppets of the big business interests who hire them. Likewise, governments have ceased to become the focus of policy change, as they too, have subordinated themselves to the interests of multinational corporations. Thus, it is in the flexible and adaptive structures of grassroots lobbying that Canadian voices and interests will be heard in the global arena. The reality that the strength of corporations in this arena is indubitable; yet, it is in the mobilization of collective action from grassroots organizations that will keep these corporations in check and ensure global social justice."

Tags:gatt, greenpeace, mai, movements, multinational, shell, social, wto

Abstract
This paper refers to concepts of proportional representation, regional representation and asymmetrical federalism in reference to the status of Quebec in Canada. It calls for a reformed and strengthened Canadian Senate to promote provincial interests within the federal system.

From the Paper
"Still, in the current Canadian political context, the Senate does serve some functions. However, the potential exists to expand its role and structure to serve a more active role in the Canadian political system. Specifically, the Senate ought to be reformed and strengthened to promote provincial interests within the federal system. Existing models and concepts of Senate reform will be critically evaluated before a model is presented which will attempt to rectify existing problems, as well as to avoid potential failings which critics of Senate reform often predict."

Tags:asymmetrical, constitution, federalism, proportional, representation, canada, political, system, provincial, regional, reform

Abstract
This paper examines the phenomenon of the anti-globalization New Left in Canada, and explains their ideology, motivation, and relationship with the Old Left, such as organized labor. It describes that the New Left believes the Canadian political system weakens minor parties and makes parliamentary action useless. The paper describes why the New Left will have difficultly achieving power.

From the Paper
"The "new left" is a distinct kind of interest group, a sub-set of standard interest groups referred to as social movements. Their organizational structure and preferred mode of political action, namely, the mobilization of non-governmental groups to attempt to influence public opinion via protests against corporations and agents of international economic globalization, is an expression of the core element of their ideology; that governments are impotent in the face of capitalist economic globalization. More specifically, they believe the Canadian political system with its limited role for democracy, the declining influence of Parliament, strong party system and the systemic way it weakens minor parties makes parliamentary action useless. For the NDP, notwithstanding its need for new support, has have been unable to incorporate the "new left" into its traditional bases of support because of nature of mass party structures. This incompatibility is detrimental to both sides; the methods of the "new left" to not appear conducive to success, and the traditional support for the NDP is continuing to weaken."

Tags:anti, globalization, movement, politics, pressure, social, canada, left, organized, labour

Abstract
This paper addresses the issue of the decreasing number of citizens who vote in U.S. elections and suggests various reforms in order to adapt to a changing society. The paper begins by discussing the issue of election timing, looking at the options of changing the election day and declaring election day a national holiday. The paper then suggests utilizing the method of proportional representation, in order to motivate people to vote. It also mentions other countries where proportional representation has been successful. Next the paper deals with the proposal of mandatory voting, listing advantages and disadvantages of the method. Finally, the paper looks at the idea of online voting, raising the many benefits of this method of voting.

From the Paper
"Since 1788, political campaigns and elections have been an essential aspect of American National Government. Subsequently, presidential elections have been scheduled and have occurred each four years. The United States has had 43 Presidents authorized to serve according to the U.S Constitution, while the 1788 population of about 4 million has increased to over 281 million in 2000. In recent decades, the percentage of citizens who vote in elections has been decreasing. In order to significantly increase voter participation in elections, reforms must be made to the system to suit the changing society. Concepts such as election timing, mandatory voting, Proportional Representation and online voting are key ideas that, if implemented, could have a major influence on increasing the amount of citizens who vote."

Tags:citizen, reform, timing, method, proportional