Suchergebnisse

The statistical analyses of representation in the Canadian House of Commons which follow are based on a file of approximately 2,200 cards, each card representing a Canadian member of Parliament. The file covers the entire period from 1867 to the present, the following information being sought in each case: name, date and place of birth, party affiliation and electoral record, constituencies represented, occupation or economic interests, religion, education, previous experience in municipal or provincial politics, and career after leaving the House of Commons. Some of this information, such as names and constituencies represented, was readily obtainable from official sources, and much of the rest was equally accessible in such reference books as the Canadian Parliamentary Guide, Who's Who, etc. Some of it, however, such as the "post-M.P." career of a man who did not attain the Elysian fields of the Senate or the Bench, was difficult and often impossible to secure, for most reference books of biography show a regrettable tendency to drop names from their pages unless the individual concerned is continuously successful in his career. Defeated or retired members are for this reason often hard to trace, unless there is some justification for their prominence as a citizen other than their political undertakings. Another point on which it has been impossible to find satisfactory data is that of members' education.

In both social and political matters, individuals trust those they believe will treat them fairly. Individuals in democracies have little objection to abiding by policies instituted by parties they did not vote for because the system by which the parliament is formed is considered fair. However, even among democracies, some electoral systems are fairer than others. It stands to reason that trust in parliament is affected by the perceived fairness of the electoral system. This research demonstrates that actual or perceived provision of voice in parliamentary representation does increase individual trust in parliament. Systems designed with the intent to provide fair representation and those that provide the illusion of fair representation produce higher levels of trust in parliament. [Copyright Elsevier Ltd.]

Any reader of my first published research on the political participation of Lebanese women can easily detect my vehement opposition to the principle of gender quota and its implementation in Lebanon. As a newcomer to research on women's political empowerment, I lacked in-depth knowledge of the intricacies of the obstacles that faced, and continue to face, Lebanese women who have political aspirations.