Democratic Reform: A Work in Progress

Abstract

With democratic reform a hot topic today, it will be worthwhile to begin by simply noting how far we have come. The fact that the “democratic deficit” is now something of a cliché should not cause us to lose sight of how much the democratic landscape in Canada has changed over a very short period of time. The fact that there is even a Cabinet portfolio for democratic reform – in several provinces and more recently, at the federal level – is testament to the resonance that democratic reform has with Canadians and their governments. This would have been difficult to imagine, even five years ago – that issues such as proportional representation and declining voter turnout would be out of the ivory towers and onto the public agenda.