And the nomination goes… according to political script, usually
By MARK COFFIN
There is a provincial election just around the corner.
In Nova Scotia, there are no fixed election dates, so the premier and the rare...
Tug of party leash is strong for MLAs learning the ropes
By MARK COFFIN
Most people know what it feels like to start a job when you’re not quite ready. To make it, you need a...
First MLAs are marginalized, then they get marching orders
By MARK COFFIN and LOUISE COCKRAM
As we pointed out in our introduction to this series, exit interviews with former MLAs are a valuable tool. After they...
Mining the exit interview for political gold
It's not often citizens get a candid look at the political process. In fact, modern politics is so tightly scripted that we rarely ever...
Why we need an Open House in Nova Scotia Politics
There are plenty of ways to find out what is happening in the Government of Nova Scotia, but the most interesting findings rely on...
Think hybrid: can we have our ranked ballots and proportional representation too?
Written by Ian Sherman
Living as I do in rural Cape Breton, my very strong feeling is that we’ll never see our largely rural...
The opposite of representation is exclusion
Guest Blog by Antony Hodgson
Anyone who watched last year’s film ‘Selma’ about the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 will not...
Solving for first past the post: what’s wrong with that?
Guest Blog by Katelynn Northam
I remember distinctly the moment when I realized how broken our voting system is. It was the night of the...
Electoral reform is not about revolution, it’s about evolution
Written by Jesse Hitchcock
In ecology, we talk about ecosystems - groups of organisms living together and interacting with their environment. Ecosystems are perfectly engineered...
Bill Black: Are majority governments good or bad?
Guest Blog by Bill Black
A core question when considering proposals for new voting systems is whether majority governments are good or bad. I think they...