5.2.7 Influences and Challenges to Decision-Making


Vector art by Sara Corsi

Many forces influence decision-making

Some forces influence the voters themselves, encouraging them to elect representatives, and others influence those who were elected.

The Media

Powerful influences over people's lives, most television networks, large newspapers, magazines, and popular websites are owned by powerful people and corporations with their own interests and goals. News stories on TV and newspapers can be biased towards a particular political agenda.

Political Campaigns

When candidates run for office, they encourage voters to support them through election campaigns. Candidates use the media to get their messages across. Their media campaigns provide voters with ideas of what the candidates stand for and what kind of people each is. Candidates and political parties can also run negative campaigns, filled with attacks on their opponents' personal lives and past actions in or out of government.

Influence of the Rich

To run for office is expensive, so most people cannot afford to run without the support of wealthy individuals, political parties, corporations, and special interest groups. In most democracies, individuals and corporations can and do donate significant amounts of money to political parties for their election campaign. As well, those without independent income may not be able to run for office, which limits the ability of the common man to participate fully in democracy.

Campaign Spending in the United States

Although Barack Obama was not a wealthy man, he used the power of his political party to raise funds to support his campaign, especially from individuals. In the 2008 United States Federal election, he raised nearly US$750 million to fund his campaign. His opponent John McCain raised nearly US$300 million. Details of campaign financing are available at the Federal Election Commission website.

Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at the Prescott Valley Event in Prescott Valley, Arizona on October 4th, 2016. Photo Courtesy of Gage Skidmore. Share Alike 2.0

Limits to Spending in Canada

There are no limits to how much a candidate can spend on a leadership contest, but there are limits to how much an individual, corporation, or trade union can donate to a political party and to a federal campaign, based on the number of voters in the ridings in which the party runs candidates. Lobby groups can spend no more than $150 000 nationally or $3000 in any one riding. (For more about about campaign spending in Canada and in Alberta, click here...)

Corruption

If special interest groups and campaign donors receive preferential treatment, corruption occurs. A strong opposition, access to information, and a free press may prevent corruption.

Lobby Groups

Special interest groups that work to influence government to act are called lobby groups. They work with elected officials and government employees to get them to introduce and vote for legislation that supports their goals.

In Canada, lobbyists are required to register with the government, and the names of all lobby groups are available to the public. For example, tobacco companies lobby the government to protect "smokers' rights" to encourage smoking and keep cigarette sales high. Anti-smoking groups lobby for bans on smoking. Lobbyists can sit on either side of an issue. For example, in the abortion debate, organizations support either the right to life or the right of a woman to choose. All must register with the government if they intend to act to influence government decision-making.

Election Costs

Elections cost money, so taxpayers may not support frequent elections that may give them better opportunities to let their opinions be known. The recent federal election in Canada is estimated to have cost CDN $300 million.

Voter Apathy

Particularly among younger voters, voter apathy is serious. The charts on the textbook pages indicate a steady decline in youth voting. Why? Some nations, such as Australia, make voting mandatory. However, in a system based on individual freedoms should decision-making be enforced?


Read the following in your text, Perspectives on Ideology.
"Challenges to the Will of the People" on page 346
"Voter Turnout" on page 347
"Lobbying by Interest Groups" pages 350 to 351

What do your readings tell you about some of the problems with political systems today?
  • How do our political systems in North America reflect the will of the people?

Please watch the following video explain how to influence politics in Canada:

 

 

  "How to influence politics in Canada", Springtide, You-tube