The Canadian Election Studies
The Canadian Election Studies
Assessing Four Decades of Influence
Why do Canadians vote the way they do? The primary objective of the ongoing Canadian Election Studies (CES) has been to investigate that question – to explain what makes people decide to vote (or not to vote), what makes them decide who to support, and why parties gain or lose ground from one election to another. After more than four decades of gathering and analyzing data, principal investigators of the CES come together in this volume to document the history of these surveys and consider their future.
This wide-ranging collection of essays provides useful background and insights on the relevance of the CES. Contributors outline how the CES project began and how far it has come, assess the quantity and types of data that have been collected, and explore the theoretical and methodological developments that have transpired since the Studies’ inception. Looking toward the future, they discuss what we have yet to investigate, highlight the challenges that lie ahead, and lend some long-range perspective to the debate about where to steer the CES in the years ahead.
This book will appeal to political scientists and others interested in the history of elections – party strategists, political commentators, policy-makers, and civil service employees.
Awards
- , Commended - The Hill Times List of Top 100 Best Books for 2013
Mebs Kanji is an associate professor of political science at Concordia University. Antoine Bilodeau is an associate professor of political science at Concordia University. Thomas J. Scotto is a reader in government at the University of Essex.
Introduction: Four Decades of Canadian Election Studies / Mebs Kanji, Antoine Bilodeau, and Thomas J. Scotto
Part 1: The Narrative
1 Point of Departure, 1965 / John Meisel
2 Theoretical Perspectives in the Canadian Election Studies / Mildred A. Schwartz
3 To Ann Arbor ... and Back: A Comparative Perspective on Election Studies / Lawrence LeDuc
4 Advancements in Methodology: A Recurring Process / Thomas J. Scotto, Mebs Kanji, and Antoine Bilodeau
5 The Relevance and Future of the Canadian Election Studies / Richard Johnston and André Blais
Part 2: Taking Stock
6 An Overview of the Social Dimension of Vote Choice / Elisabeth Gidengil
7 Eclipse of Class: A Review of Demographic Variables, 1974-2006 / Barry Kay and Andrea M.L. Perrella
8 Quebec versus the Rest of Canada, 1965-2006 / Richard Nadeau and Éric Bélanger
9 The Structural Bases of Canadian Party Preference: Evolution and Cross-National Comparison / Richard Johnston
10 The Valence Politics Model of Electoral Choice / Harold D. Clarke and Allan Kornberg
11 Voting Turnout in a System of Multi-Level Governance / Jon H. Pammett
Part 3: Conclusion
12 The Future of the Canadian Election Studies / Antoine Bilodeau, Thomas J. Scotto, and Mebs Kanji
Appendix: Four Decades of Publications Based on the Canadian Election Studies
Index
