Imperfect Democracies : The Democratic Deficit in Canada and the United States

Canada and the United States are consistently ranked among the most democratic countries in the world, yet voices expressing concern about the quality of these democracies are becoming louder and more insistent. Critics maintain that the two countries suffer from a'democratic deficit,'a deficit that raises profound questions about the legitimacy and effectiveness of their democratic institutions. Imperfect Democracies brings together Canadian and American scholars to compare how the democratic deficit plays out in the two nations. An important contribution to the field of democratic theory and the study of democratic institutions, this timely book will spark debate on both sides of the border. The Democratic Deficit : Canada And The United States In Comparative Perspective / Pippa Norris -- Citizen Expectations And Democratic Performance : The Sources And Consequences Of Democratic Deficits From The Bottom Up / Neil Nevitte And Stephen White -- Defining And Identifying A Democratic Deficit / David Beetham -- Democracy In American Elections / Michael Mcdonald -- Can Canada's Past Electoral Reforms Help Us To Understand The Debate Over Its Method Of Election? / John C. Courtney -- Regulating Political Finance In Canada : Contributions To Democracy? / Lisa Young -- Campaign Finance Reform In The United States / Robert G. Boatright -- Imperfect Legislatures / David C. Docherty -- Democracy's Wartime Deficits : The Prerogative Presidency And Liberal Democracy In The United States / Daniel J. Tichenor -- The Centre Of The Democratic Deficit : Power And Influence In Canadian Political Executives / Graham White -- Extending The Franchise To Non-citizen Residents In Canada And The United States : How Bad Is The Democratic Deficit? / Patti Tamara Lenard And Daniel Munro -- Citizen Representation And The American Jury / Ethan J. Leib And David L. Ponet -- Supplementary Democracy? Democratic Deficits And Citizens' Assemblies / Amy Lang And Mark E. Warren -- Reflections On The Democratic Deficit In Canada And The United States / Simone Chambers And Patti Tamara Lenard. Edited By Patti Tamara Lenard And Richard Simeon. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Also Issued In Electronic Format. Canada and the United States are consistently ranked among the most democratic countries in the world, yet voices expressing concern about the quality of these democracies are becoming louder and more insistent. Critics maintain that the two countries suffer from a "democratic deficit," a deficit that raises profound questions about the legitimacy and effectiveness of their democratic institutions.Imperfect Democracies brings together Canadian and American scholars to compare and contrast the democratic deficit in the two nations. Blending normative theory and empirical analysis, they focus on three key Why talk about a democratic deficit? In what ways are Canadian and American democracies falling short? What can be done to remedy the deficit? An important contribution to the field of democratic theory and the study of democratic institutions, this timely book will spark debate on both sides of the border. This timely book evaluates and compares alleged democratic deficits in Canada and the United States and proposes solutions to remedy them.