Katelyn Page
Can You Imagine if Kids Rule the World? Someday they will.
Democracy can be traced all the way back to the Greeks in 500 BC. In 1758, it was introduced to Canada, right here in Nova Scotia. Twenty-two men, some from as far away as Germany and Britain, went to an old wooden cabin in what is now downtown Halifax and formed the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. New things aren't always the best, and this was no exception. Only males of British heritage over the age of 21 could vote. However, this was a huge stepping stone for Canada as it had never elected officials this way before.
Democracy is a government chosen by the people. This means you can cast a vote to pick who you would like to win the election. The word democracy is derived from 2 Greek words - "demos" meaning "the people", and Kratein" meaning to rule.
Having a democratic society has many benefits. You can help decide who runs your country and who runs your district. It allows you to have rights, justice, equality, truth, freedom, all things that are important to people everywhere. A person would vote for someone whose morals and ethics are similar to their own, so they would fight for the things that are important to that person. It may be getting a better garbage disposal system, having less taxes, or anything in between. However, if you don't take advantage of having the right to vote, what you want may not happen.
Although I'm not old enough to vote, I still like to follow politics and what is happening in the world. I think it's very important for people, especially young people, to realize the importance of voting. Someday we will be the ones ruling the country so I think it's important to become informed at a young age. If you don't vote, it's almost like saying you don't care who runs our country, or your district, or your province. I believe you can't complain about what's happening in Parliament if you didn't vote to make what you want to happen, happen.
There are many levels of government, and a few main political parties. The NDP (New Democratic Party), the Green Party, the Conservatives, the Bloc Quebecois, and the Liberal Party are the most known parties, but aren't th eonly parties in Canada. There are many more lesser known parties. Stephen Harper, our current Prime Minister, is leader of the Conservative Party. We have federal, which is running all of the country; Provincial, which runs the province; and municipal, which runs the municipal area you live in. In order for a person to become Prime Minister their party must win the most votes. This doesn't mean they need to have over 50% of the votes, they just need to have more than other parties. A party that wins the election but has under 50% of the votes is considered a minority government because the combined amount of people that makes up the rest of the parliament is more than 50%. If a party wins more than 50% of the votes they are considered a majority government. Political parties like this type of government better because they can get their laws and bills passed much easier and quicker.
Democracy is a very important thing in our society. The more people realize this and the more people take advantage of their right to vote, the better our country will be.