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Globalization and Canadian Politics
The KOF Index of Globalization defines political globalization in terms of the number of embassies in foreign countries, a country's membership in international organizations, participation in the UN, and number of international treaties signed (Dreher: //Sources and Definitions//). Canada has numerous examples of these, thereby proving that it is very globalized in political terms. Some examples follow.

Canada is a parliamentary democracy in which all citizens over the age of 18 have the right to vote. The people take part in local, provincial, and national elections. National elections occur on a regular basis every 4 -5 years. There are 6 officially recognized political parties which means people can choose between different groups that represent different opinions about how to run the country. Since everyone has the right to vote, it shows that all people can be involved in choosing representatives to make decisions about running the country. There are also political pressure groups mentioned. These groups pressure governments to fight for their interests when they are making decisions within the country or with other countries. Some of these include the agricultural sector, the automobile industry, business groups, the chemical industry commercial banks, communications sector, the energy industry, environmentalists, public administration groups, the steel industry and trade unions. (CIA-Canada) This shows that many groups fight to have there voice heard in government so that there interests will be met in, for example, trade deals signed with other countries. This will be discussed more in the section on economics.

Here is an example of the Canadian Prime Minister on recent visit to India to increase political and trade ties: Watch the Video

Another factor the KOF index considers in defining the level of globalization of a country is the number of international organizations it is involved with and the number of international treaties it has signed. Here is a long list of organizations Canada belongs to thus proving its place as globalized. Some include APEC whose meetings are taking place as this is written. The Prime Minister is shown at the APEC summit in the video above. Others include, the Arctic Council which fights for environmental and aborginal rights protection in the North, ASEAN which shows Canada's link to Southeast and East Asia, and the G summits. This includes the G-20, G-7, G-8, G-10 where governments decide what directions their economies should take in the future to ensure growth, development and sustainability. The treaty that has had the largest influence in politics and economics in Canada has been the NAFTA treaty which include the US and Mexico.

Large and influential, G-20, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,

MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAFTA, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SECI (observer),

UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMIS, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

All this information is easily found. Many of you have also found it. Your goal is to read a little news to find out what it all means.
Works Cited //CIA World Factbook//. CIA. Web. <@https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html>. Dreher et al. //KOF Index of Globalization//. Prof. Dr. Jan-Egbert Sturm, Head of KOF Swiss Economic Institute, 2008. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. <@http://globalization.kof.ethz.ch/>. See specifically the //Sources and Definitions// page under the "Detailed Index Information".