Should Political Parties be Allowed at the Municipal Level in Toronto/Ontario?

Consider each and pick the one that you engages you the most. We will be looking for you to make creative linkages across course material, provide well thought out opinions, and use good examples to enforce your arguments. Think about the topic from different angles. The essay should be between 500-750 words.
1. Should political parties be allowed at the municipal level in Toronto/Ontario? Explain why political parties would be either an overall positive or a negative for local democracy. In constructing your answer, you should forward your own original, thoughtful, and informed opinion that engages with the course material we have discussed so far. Argue for your own position but take the other side seriously and consider why it may also have merit. Finally, we will be looking for creative integration of course material. Some readings discuss and lecture notes discuss municipal parties directly, however, many do not. Think about how the issue of political parties ties in with our broader discussions of politicians, democracy, the functionality of local government, and social justice and equity issues. Provide specific examples to ground your argument.
2. Is the post-1998 amalgamated City of Toronto working to the benefit of Toronto’s citizens? Would you keep the megacity as is or try a different governance structure (for example a return to a tiered system)? Why or why not?
In constructing your answer, you should forward your own original, thoughtful, and informedopinion that engages with the course material we have discussed so far. Argue for your own position but take the other side seriously and consider why it may also have merit. Finally, we will be looking for creative integration of course material. Some readings discuss and lecture notes discuss amalgamation directly, however, many do not. Think about how the issue of amalgamation ties in with our broader discussions of urban vs. rural/suburban ways of life, democracy, the functionality of local government, and social justice and equity issues. Provide specific examples to ground your argument.
3. How does Toronto politics compare with your experience of local politics in another part of the world? Do you feel that Toronto’s local political system functions to produce democracy effectively? Should democracy be the main goal of local politics? Why or why not?
*This question may be good for international students. You are not obligated to answer this question, but it gives you an option if you have less familiarity with Toronto politics. In constructing your answer, you should forward your own original, thoughtful, and informed opinion that engages with the course material we have discussed so far. Showcase your knowledge what stands out to you that is “unique” about Toronto’s political system. We will be looking for creative integration of course material. We have not discussed Toronto in a comparative international perspective. However, this question will allow you to engage with your own experience and national background. You want to make sure that you are providing specificexamples of the differences – don’t rely on generalities.