CBC Asks: Is politics broken? 'Team No' weighs in

The 2015 federal electionlooms, andwith voterturnout in the last electionhaving barely squeaked past 60 per cent, CBC News asks: "Is Politics Broken?"

A live debatefeaturing six contestants moderated by CBC's chief correspondent, Peter Mansbridge, sought to answer that question on March 25.

Arguing for the No side, a team of three public policy thinkers explained why they still have faith in the political process as an effective agent of change.

• Read Sheila Copps's argument
• Read Monte Solberg's argument
• Read Aisha Moodie-Mills's argument
• CBC Asks: Is politics broken? The 'Team Yes' argument

Former Ontario MP Sheila Copps, U.S. political strategist Aisha Moodie-Mills and former Alberta MP Monte Solbergdefended the political process.

Each panelist shared some thoughts before Wednesday's debate.

"At the end of the day, it is the vote itself that has the most influence on the political class," writes Copps, who believes it's actually simpler than ever to effect change with more citizens having the right to vote and social media allowing people to quickly mobilize grassroots groups.

Moodie-Mills, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, said that despite weak campaign finance laws in the U.S. and hyper-partisanship, "the power of the the people to petition their government and get results has not waned."

Solberg writes that politics has a wide reach and sparks change in two main ways - by designing the rules that facilitate the exchange of big ideas, and by creating policies to keep society running smoothly.

"The political process is about more than pushing that Like button on Facebook...To be meaningful, politics requires debate and action," he argues.

Check out Team Yes's argument from debate panelists Andrew Coyne, Alison Loat and Dave Meslin.