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The Unbroken Machine: Canada's Democracy in Action
The Hill Times: Best Books of 2017
What if it is not our political system that is broken, but our understanding of it?
Everybody thinks that it’s the system that’s broken in politics; but what if it’s not the system that’s broken but rather our understanding of it? What if everyone’s proposals to make the system “more democratic” only wind up making things worse, and weaken our systems of accountability so much as to make them meaningless? What if it’s our own ignorance that is killing democracy in this country?
Dale Smith looks at the critical gaps in civic literacy that have become endemic within Canadian political culture, wading through buzzwords and meaningless proposals to suggest real solutions. Designed for the lay reader, The Unbroken Machine seeks to explore our lack of civic literacy and show how our system of democracy should work — if only we were to engage with it the way it was meant to be.
What if it is not our political system that is broken, but our understanding of it?
Everybody thinks that it’s the system that’s broken in politics; but what if it’s not the system that’s broken but rather our understanding of it? What if everyone’s proposals to make the system “more democratic” only wind up making things worse, and weaken our systems of accountability so much as to make them meaningless? What if it’s our own ignorance that is killing democracy in this country?
Dale Smith looks at the critical gaps in civic literacy that have become endemic within Canadian political culture, wading through buzzwords and meaningless proposals to suggest real solutions. Designed for the lay reader, The Unbroken Machine seeks to explore our lack of civic literacy and show how our system of democracy should work — if only we were to engage with it the way it was meant to be.
- GenresCanadaNonfictionPolitics
152 pages, ebook
Published March 4, 2017
7 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Dale Smith
1 book8 followersDale Smith is a journalist in the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 17, 2017
The Unbroken Machine: Canada's Democracy in Action by Dale Smith is an interesting look at Canada's democratic system with an eye for what we do right, not just what is wrong. Canadian's are constantly bombarded with negativity in terms of how our system works. The Senate is corrupt, the Question Period is loud and obnoxious, MP's don't pay attention in the Commons, the Prime Minister is too powerful etc. While a critical look at the systems we have in place is always welcome, Canadian's have too little working knowledge on our own systems to understand either the criticisms, or even how those systems work in general.
Case in point; Canadian's barely receive any Civics education in school, and as such do not understand how our political systems actually function. Smith is critical of this, as well as the movement toward more "American" style elections, with the focus on our Party leaders and not on the MP's actually being elected. The bombardment of American media does not help either, as many Canadians seem confused about the differences between the American and Canadian political system, and this could be through there media consumption.
Smith takes a different approach here, looking at what the Canadian political system does right. He examines the Westminster system we use, looking at the divisions of power that exist in Canada, and the use of Responsible Government principles. These principles hold the ruling party accountable to the House of Commons, and if the house loses confidence, then the government collapses and elections are held. This system usually only happens during minority governments, as Opposition Parties and unhappy ruling MP's may band together to bring down an unpopular government. This is also different than the American "checks and balances" system. The US system is divided into many overlapping power spheres, and these overlaps function as checks to the power of any one institution. In Canada, the House of Commons seemingly has a whole lot of power. They function as legislators and serve on committees that examine critical issues and create fledgling laws. They can also create Private Members Bills - usually crafted by individual MP's or a working group of them. These bills are then examined in the House, and by the Senate.
So what about checks and balances here? Well, our system is quite different. MP's are tasked with holding the government accountable, and both backbench MP's and Opposition MP's fill this task. If a ruling party begins to propose laws the Canadian public does not like, MP's will often critically examine the proposed laws and make changes or kill it if necessary, and hold a government accountable for its failure. The Senate also functions as another check, and examines laws that pass the House, sending them back for edit if they do not meet certain criteria. Finally, Canada's Supreme Court acts as the ultimate authority, and can strike down laws that violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Senate in Canada has come under fire a lot recently, as an expense scandal erupted where certain Senators were misusing public funds. Calls for Senate reform were widespread, and many talked about outright abolishment. This is a dangerous precedent, as it would weaken our system of accountability and remove valuable oversight over laws coming from the Commons. Senate reform has also been proposed, slapping term limits on Senators or putting their places to election. Both of these would also alter our system drastically, and possibly negatively. Term limits remove the valuable experience most Senators will gather over years in office, and limit their ability to critically and impartially examine laws from the Commons. Elections would be even more damaging, creating interest group Senators who are elected with a mandate - again damaging their impartiality and ability to look at laws in a neutral tone. Although critically examining Senators conduct and expenses is an obvious solution, rabid calls to end the Senate are probably going to create more new problems than they solve.
If there is one thing Smith is critical of in this book, its the declining role of the MP in Canada. Members of Parliament are supposed to hold the government accountable, but this is falling to the wayside as other duties and functions move to the fore. MP's are increasingly focusing on constituency duties; providing services to the constituents of their ridings. Although these are often helpful, they seem to supplant public services that should be offered by municipal or other organizations, and not by untrained MP's and their staff. MP's are also encouraged increasingly to toe the line with their Party, as in Canada the small size of the Commons makes a Cabinet post closer then not. MP's must toe the line, or risk losing out a chance to gain political standing. Smith recommends a return to a more active Commons, where MP's critically examine their own parties, and take the government to task.
Smith also examines the role of the Monarchy and Canada's electoral system, two issues which are perennial concerns in some circles as well. Suffice to say, this short book is a concise examination of how Canada's system should work, and what it does right. Smith's examination is interesting and exhaustive, and he does a good job laying out the framework of Canada's political system. Even so, his idea's for changing Canada's system seem skewed. It would be very difficult to go back to older times of political organization. Although many do not agree with the direction Canada's political system is going, it is difficult to stop this momentum. Canada's system has evolved progressively for centuries, both as a colony through British political traditions, and as its own nation. The changes that have occurred must be countered with progressive legislation, not a retrenchment of older ideas. Although those old systems functioned well in many cases, they also encouraged pork barrel politics, corruption and vote rigging in many cases. The system we currently posses does hold politicians to account, and has functioned as a system that has propelled Canada to both stability and prosperity. We must be careful about the changes we make, and certainly, we must be more active in civic learning, instead of buying into buzzwords that have little to do with our actual political composition. All in all, a great read, and one that Canadians should certainly read to gain some insight into how their systems really function.
Case in point; Canadian's barely receive any Civics education in school, and as such do not understand how our political systems actually function. Smith is critical of this, as well as the movement toward more "American" style elections, with the focus on our Party leaders and not on the MP's actually being elected. The bombardment of American media does not help either, as many Canadians seem confused about the differences between the American and Canadian political system, and this could be through there media consumption.
Smith takes a different approach here, looking at what the Canadian political system does right. He examines the Westminster system we use, looking at the divisions of power that exist in Canada, and the use of Responsible Government principles. These principles hold the ruling party accountable to the House of Commons, and if the house loses confidence, then the government collapses and elections are held. This system usually only happens during minority governments, as Opposition Parties and unhappy ruling MP's may band together to bring down an unpopular government. This is also different than the American "checks and balances" system. The US system is divided into many overlapping power spheres, and these overlaps function as checks to the power of any one institution. In Canada, the House of Commons seemingly has a whole lot of power. They function as legislators and serve on committees that examine critical issues and create fledgling laws. They can also create Private Members Bills - usually crafted by individual MP's or a working group of them. These bills are then examined in the House, and by the Senate.
So what about checks and balances here? Well, our system is quite different. MP's are tasked with holding the government accountable, and both backbench MP's and Opposition MP's fill this task. If a ruling party begins to propose laws the Canadian public does not like, MP's will often critically examine the proposed laws and make changes or kill it if necessary, and hold a government accountable for its failure. The Senate also functions as another check, and examines laws that pass the House, sending them back for edit if they do not meet certain criteria. Finally, Canada's Supreme Court acts as the ultimate authority, and can strike down laws that violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Senate in Canada has come under fire a lot recently, as an expense scandal erupted where certain Senators were misusing public funds. Calls for Senate reform were widespread, and many talked about outright abolishment. This is a dangerous precedent, as it would weaken our system of accountability and remove valuable oversight over laws coming from the Commons. Senate reform has also been proposed, slapping term limits on Senators or putting their places to election. Both of these would also alter our system drastically, and possibly negatively. Term limits remove the valuable experience most Senators will gather over years in office, and limit their ability to critically and impartially examine laws from the Commons. Elections would be even more damaging, creating interest group Senators who are elected with a mandate - again damaging their impartiality and ability to look at laws in a neutral tone. Although critically examining Senators conduct and expenses is an obvious solution, rabid calls to end the Senate are probably going to create more new problems than they solve.
If there is one thing Smith is critical of in this book, its the declining role of the MP in Canada. Members of Parliament are supposed to hold the government accountable, but this is falling to the wayside as other duties and functions move to the fore. MP's are increasingly focusing on constituency duties; providing services to the constituents of their ridings. Although these are often helpful, they seem to supplant public services that should be offered by municipal or other organizations, and not by untrained MP's and their staff. MP's are also encouraged increasingly to toe the line with their Party, as in Canada the small size of the Commons makes a Cabinet post closer then not. MP's must toe the line, or risk losing out a chance to gain political standing. Smith recommends a return to a more active Commons, where MP's critically examine their own parties, and take the government to task.
Smith also examines the role of the Monarchy and Canada's electoral system, two issues which are perennial concerns in some circles as well. Suffice to say, this short book is a concise examination of how Canada's system should work, and what it does right. Smith's examination is interesting and exhaustive, and he does a good job laying out the framework of Canada's political system. Even so, his idea's for changing Canada's system seem skewed. It would be very difficult to go back to older times of political organization. Although many do not agree with the direction Canada's political system is going, it is difficult to stop this momentum. Canada's system has evolved progressively for centuries, both as a colony through British political traditions, and as its own nation. The changes that have occurred must be countered with progressive legislation, not a retrenchment of older ideas. Although those old systems functioned well in many cases, they also encouraged pork barrel politics, corruption and vote rigging in many cases. The system we currently posses does hold politicians to account, and has functioned as a system that has propelled Canada to both stability and prosperity. We must be careful about the changes we make, and certainly, we must be more active in civic learning, instead of buying into buzzwords that have little to do with our actual political composition. All in all, a great read, and one that Canadians should certainly read to gain some insight into how their systems really function.
January 5, 2020
The author is arguing the FPTP is still relevant in the Canadian democracy. No mention of how PR or MMP could help elect more marginalized people (he probably doesn't care about them because he is a white men). The author argued that the popular vote is a flawed metric. I don't recommend this book.
June 22, 2017
Required reading for every Canadian
May 1, 2021
This is a good guide to how our system works and why it’s evolved the way it has. I never understood any of this stuff until I started following Smith, Lagassé, and Jarvis on Twitter and read Democratizing the Constitution, but this is a much better introduction.
I think Smith’s arguments would be more effective if he worked more on “steel manning” the positions he disagrees with, or delving into the motivations more. For instance, he’s right that Liberals like ranked ballots because they believe they’ll benefit most from them, but aside from that he doesn’t really explain why a ranked ballot distorts results other than to say it does. Arguably a ranked ballot better represents preferences since it increases the likelihood any voter is represented by an MP closer to their ideal. His argument against proportional representation is well developed and I think he’s right that making 50%+1 a magic number for legitimacy is potentially a problem.
He doesn’t give a great answer about senatorial accountability, but he explains the role of the senate in a compelling way and does a good job of explaining the problems of various reform initiatives like Triple-E.
I think Smith’s arguments would be more effective if he worked more on “steel manning” the positions he disagrees with, or delving into the motivations more. For instance, he’s right that Liberals like ranked ballots because they believe they’ll benefit most from them, but aside from that he doesn’t really explain why a ranked ballot distorts results other than to say it does. Arguably a ranked ballot better represents preferences since it increases the likelihood any voter is represented by an MP closer to their ideal. His argument against proportional representation is well developed and I think he’s right that making 50%+1 a magic number for legitimacy is potentially a problem.
He doesn’t give a great answer about senatorial accountability, but he explains the role of the senate in a compelling way and does a good job of explaining the problems of various reform initiatives like Triple-E.
November 8, 2021
The author is an advocate for keeping our first-past-the-post electoral system the same; only three OECD countries still use this system and it's well-known to be undemocratic.
This is a typical white male conservative who is anti-progress, thinks "we've always done things this way", and blames citizens for not trying hard enough.
Horrible book, do not recommend it.
This is a typical white male conservative who is anti-progress, thinks "we've always done things this way", and blames citizens for not trying hard enough.
Horrible book, do not recommend it.
February 11, 2019
This book provides an antidote to a serious problem of disengagement within Canadian political life and I believe that, as such, it could be added to the literature for high school civics education across Canada.
February 10, 2021
The author is a FPTP supporter. Patterns of Democracy by Lijphart proves hands down PR democracies are better. My vote should carry equal weight to his. What's the point of going to Pierre Polièvre to talk about climate change or do an NDP to talk about tax cuts?
November 20, 2017
An excellent, and motivating*, must-read for Canadians and wannabe Canadians.
Calls to reform our current political system - be they for changing how we vote, getting rid of the monarchy, changing Parliamentary rules and procedures, etc. - disregard the fact that most of us are unaware of how the current system is designed to function. Canadians sorely lack civics literacy.
Until we begin to correct our political ignorance and become more knowledgeable of the system as it was designed to work - as opposed to how it is being warped to work -, we should cool down the reform rhetoric. Reading The Unbroken Machine should advance that project.
*By the end of the second chapter, I'd cancelled my Netflix subscription and arranged for that monthly amount to be donated to my preferred British Columbia political party.
Calls to reform our current political system - be they for changing how we vote, getting rid of the monarchy, changing Parliamentary rules and procedures, etc. - disregard the fact that most of us are unaware of how the current system is designed to function. Canadians sorely lack civics literacy.
Until we begin to correct our political ignorance and become more knowledgeable of the system as it was designed to work - as opposed to how it is being warped to work -, we should cool down the reform rhetoric. Reading The Unbroken Machine should advance that project.
*By the end of the second chapter, I'd cancelled my Netflix subscription and arranged for that monthly amount to be donated to my preferred British Columbia political party.
January 6, 2017
With declining civic literacy, how can we really determine if our Canada's institutions - Parliament, the monarchy, the Senate - are really working? Even MPs are unclear on their own job descriptions as they sit in the House. These are some of the truths I learned from reading this book. I also learned a whole lot more about how these institutions are expected to run and the realities of how they do work. The author concludes that we need to have greater respect for our constitutional monarchy and stop trying to fix systems without even understanding their role (i.e. moves to abolish the Senate or monarchy or reform our electoral system). Better civic literacy, leading to more civic engagement, will lead to a greater democracy after all!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews