Consequences of the Unreformed Canadian Electoral System.

In a classic article on the electoral system in Canada, researcher Alan C. Cairns argued that the single-member plurality electoral system for choosing federal members of parliament had harmful effects on the party system. The mechanics of this electoral system increased the regional distinctiveness of party caucuses beyond what occurs through social cleavages and voting shares. Since only one candidate can win in a riding, a party with a substantial vote across the constituencies in a region might receive few seats. Thus the party caucuses are more extreme regionally than is justified by voting shares.