Should Political Parties be Allowed at the Municipal Level in Toronto/Ontario?
Consider each and pick the one that you engages you the most. We will be looking for you to make creative linkages across course material, provide well thought out opinions, and use good examples to enforce your arguments. Think about the topic from different angles. The essay should be between 500-750 words.
1. Should political parties be allowed at the municipal level in Toronto/Ontario? Explain why political parties would be either an overall positive or a negative for local democracy. In constructing your answer, you should forward your own original, thoughtful, and informed opinion that engages with the course material we have discussed so far. Argue for your own position but take the other side seriously and consider why it may also have merit. Finally, we will be looking for creative integration of course material. Some readings discuss and lecture notes discuss municipal parties directly, however, many do not. Think about how the issue of political parties ties in with our broader discussions of politicians, democracy, the functionality of local government, and social justice and equity issues. Provide specific examples to ground your argument.
2. Is the post-1998 amalgamated City of Toronto working to the benefit of Toronto’s citizens? Would you keep the megacity as is or try a different governance structure (for example a return to a tiered system)? Why or why not?
In constructing your answer, you should forward your own original, thoughtful, and informedopinion that engages with the course material we have discussed so far. Argue for your own position but take the other side seriously and consider why it may also have merit. Finally, we will be looking for creative integration of course material. Some readings discuss and lecture notes discuss amalgamation directly, however, many do not. Think about how the issue of amalgamation ties in with our broader discussions of urban vs. rural/suburban ways of life, democracy, the functionality of local government, and social justice and equity issues. Provide specific examples to ground your argument.
3. How does Toronto politics compare with your experience of local politics in another part of the world? Do you feel that Toronto’s local political system functions to produce democracy effectively? Should democracy be the main goal of local politics? Why or why not?
*This question may be good for international students. You are not obligated to answer this question, but it gives you an option if you have less familiarity with Toronto politics. In constructing your answer, you should forward your own original, thoughtful, and informed opinion that engages with the course material we have discussed so far. Showcase your knowledge what stands out to you that is “unique” about Toronto’s political system. We will be looking for creative integration of course material. We have not discussed Toronto in a comparative international perspective. However, this question will allow you to engage with your own experience and national background. You want to make sure that you are providing specificexamples of the differences – don’t rely on generalities.
City Politics: Toronto
Name
Institution
Course code and Title
Instructor
Date
Should political parties be allowed at the municipal level in Toronto/Ontario?
Allowing political parties at the municipal level in Ontario has both positive and negative impacts on the local democracy. Local governance is the first place citizens consider to air their problem thus a good method to practice direct democracy. Local governance experiences shortcomings such as promoting employment and effective service delivery which are influenced by globalization and urbanization (Chris Erl, 2023). Consequently, parties at the municipal level enable the implementation of public policies that ensure equitable allocation of resources, equal opportunities, and services, thus, reducing the system rigidities of discrimination and racism.
Parties enable the elected officials to be more accountable for them to be re-elected. The 2022 municipal election in Ontario reported a drop in voter turnout which with political parties at the municipal level would help change the situation. The voting decisions are influenced by available party information that many voters access from a candidate's party affiliation. Hence officials from the same political parties share a common agenda structured by the party which allows them to govern efficiently (Chris Erl, 2023). Political parties are paramount in promoting the democracy of a country. During elections, voters can choose the preferred governance from a political party and the opposition party will help ensure the winning party is accountable for their decisions and actions. Citizens are also allowed to join political parties which democratically allows them to participate, donate, and vote for their leaders.
Political parties at the municipal level mean that democracy is instilled in the local communities. The parties will have a more practic...