Yes to democracy, no to politics

We keep hearing that more and more people don't vote in Canada. The Samara organization wondered why. Here are the results of their study, in a story I hope will be posted online soon at the Star, but in the meantime, I'm posting the story below, as well as this link to the full study: 

 

Politics and democracy as opposites   Voter-apathy study reveals crushed ideals about system   Are non-voters in Canada apathetic about democracy? Not at all, a new study finds. In fact, some of the apathy stems from bitter experience.   Susan Delacourt Ottawa Bureau     OTTAWA — Canadians who don’t vote actually believe in democracy — they just don’t believe politics or politicians are very democratic, according to a new study of voter apathy in Canada. “People’s disappointment with politics is driven by their sense of what democracy should be,”  says the study, by the Samara research organization, which conducted in-depth interviews with “disengaged” Canadians to see what was keeping them away from the ballot box. What’s more, many of the vote-averse Canadians have become that way through bitter experience with politics – not through lack of interest or knowledge, as is often assumed, Samara says. “Declining political engagement is, at least in part, due to concrete experiences with politics,” says the report. “Disengaged people felt that politics is a game that does not produce results for them…. The overall point seems to be that there is very little reason to be engaged.” Samara, a non-profit research organization that probes  democracy and public policy in Canada, carried out the study of voter apathy  through a series of eight focus groups between August and October this year. The study – an attempt to look for causes of deepening voter apathy in Canada – involved interviews with people who didn’t vote as well as with people who described themselves as active participants in politics and democracy. The findings blow some holes through the oft-repeated reasons for declining participation in politics – often written off as cynicism or simple lack of education or interest in democracy. In fact, the focus groups showed a good measure of idealism about democracy and democratic principles, and often, a contempt for politics bred by familiarity with its flaws and shortfalls. So while “insiders” in the Canadian political scene may see politics and democracy as intertwined, disengaged Canadians – “outsiders,” as Samara calls them – actually see democracy and politics as opposite concepts in current practice. And it’s a bitter truth they gained from their brushes with the system. “In the past, they believed that the political system was open to them and wanted to hear from them,” the report says. “But once they had an actual concern that needed to be resolved, they found that no one was responsive. From these experiences, the disengaged took to heart the lesson that engaging with the political system is at best a waste of time, and at worst a discouraging and disempowering experience.” Some of the frustration echoes the type of complaints being heard at the “Occupy” protests of recent weeks too – a sense of deafening distance between the decision makers and those affected by their decisions. This kind of experience was at odds with that of the people who described themselves as engaged – who had enjoyed rewarding or responsive experiences with the political system or government, Samara found.  This may be a clue on how to address voter apathy, Samara’s report says – by increasing the responsiveness of politicians and government to citizens’ concerns. As things now stand, Samara says, Canada’s citizenry appears to be locked in a divide between the “insiders” who are engaged, and the increasing ranks of the “outsiders,” who believe that politics doesn’t have much to do with cherished democratic ideals. -30-

 

Comments

[Darwin O'Connor]

One of the most important lessons in democracy is to accept sometimes you will legitimately lose because you where out voted. A lot of people would give up on the whole system as flawed, rather then accept the democratic will of the people for now and keep on campaigning to change their minds.

[Jim Macdonald]

The solution must be somewhere in the methodology used to get politically disengaged people to participate in a focus group on voter apathy. http://youtu.be/shbgRyColvE

[Judy Birch]

There is no democracy in Canada when government Mp's and MPP's refuse to look into issues of alleged discrimination in Canada for a British women who was obstructed from justice to the Supreme Court of Canada.

[Judy Birch]

when courts order government agencies in court and they do not show they are in contempt of court... but when the court do nothing to uphold the law they also do nothing in the way of justice or democracy. I am their victim and it is discrimination

[Judy Birch]

is it democratic when Members of parliament and Members of Provincial parliament refuse to look into their constituents concerns or issues which they believe were discriminatory.

[Judy Birch]

democracy should not lead people in the community to suffer post traumatic stress as a result of negligence by mp's and mpp's who refuse to look into issues when they broke the principal rule of law when discriminating against immigrants when legal aid did not cover civil constitutional torts... charter of rights and freedoms are civil and criminal not just criminal... therefore when the government does not enforce orders of the court and denied access to legal aid prior to 2005 they actually broke the principal rule of law because the charter pertains to all residents of Canada regardless of where they live, Ottawa legal aid and Ontario did not provide immigrants with access to justice discriminating against immigrants when immigration Canada erred.. In 1989.lead to years of injustice cruel and degrading treatment and civil and human rights infringements social and economic rights infringement. Democracy only if community services are not funded by the government who are afraid to bite the hand that feeds them their big fat wages.