Winning and Keeping Power in Canadian Politics

by Jason Roy, Christopher Alcantara

Overview

Do negative campaigns win elections? Do voters abandon candidates accused of scandalous behaviour? Do government apologies affect prospects for re-election? While many people assume the answer to each of these questions is yes, there is limited empirical evidence to support these assumptions. In this book, Jason Roy and Christopher Alcantara use a series of experiments to test these and other commonly held beliefs.

Each chapter draws upon contemporary events and literature to frame the issues and strategies. The findings suggest that not all of the assumptions that people have about the best strategies for winning and keeping political power hold up to empirical scrutiny. In fact, some work in ways that many readers may find surprising.

Original and innovative in its use of experimental methods, Winning and Keeping Power in Canadian Politics is a persuasive analysis of some of our most prominent and long-standing political myths. It will be a "go to" resource for journalists, strategists, scholars, and general readers alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781487525019
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	08/07/2020
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jason Roy is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Christopher Alcantara is a professor in the Department of Political Science at Western University.

Table of Contents

List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Appendices
Preface
Acknowledgments

1. An Overview of Winning and Keeping Power in Canadian Politics

Part One: Winning Power – Election Campaigns

2. Going Negative in Canadian Federal Elections
3. Political Scandals
4. Candidate Endorsements
5. The Quality of Local Candidates

Part Two: Keeping Power – Public Opinion and Incumbency

6. Parliamentary Configurations and Assigning Political Responsibility
7. Election Timing
8. The Supreme Court of Canada, Parliament, and the Role of Experts
9. Framing Public Budgeting
10. Political Apologies
11. Reflections, Recommendations, and Future Research

What People are Saying About This

J.P. Lewis

"Winning and Keeping Power in Canadian Politics will be a valuable aid to Canadian political science scholars, political actors, the media, and students."

Stuart Soroka

"Roy and Alcantara offer a uniquely accessible and comprehensive study of factors that matter (and do not matter) to political support. Experimental work on some of the major features of political campaigns highlights the many ways in which the contents of election campaigns can alter information-seeking and vote intentions. Winning and Keeping Power in Canadian Politics offers a rich exploration of the ways in which information and institutions affect Canadian political behaviour."

André Blais

"An intriguing book that examines the success and failure of a wide array of strategies parties use to win and keep power. A fresh perspective with an innovative experimental design. Read it. You will love it."

Tamara A. Small

"Covering diverse topics, including negative campaigning, budgeting, and the courts, Winning and Keeping Power in Canadian Politics parses out key debates in the political science literature, using a novel method to provide answers and data where none existed before."

André Blais

"An intriguing book that examines the success and failure of a wide array of strategies parties use to win and keep power. A fresh perspective with an innovative experimental design. Read it. You will love it."

Editorial Reviews

"Covering diverse topics, including negative campaigning, budgeting, and the courts, Winning and Keeping Power in Canadian Politics parses out key debates in the political science literature, using a novel method to provide answers and data where none existed before."

—Tamara A. Small, Department of Political Science, University of Guelph

"An intriguing book that examines the success and failure of a wide array of strategies parties use to win and keep power. A fresh perspective with an innovative experimental design. Read it. You will love it."

—André Blais, Research Chair in Electoral Studies, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal

" Winning and Keeping Power in Canadian Politics will be a valuable aid to Canadian political science scholars, political actors, the media, and students."

—J.P. Lewis, Department of History and Politics, University of New Brunswick

"Roy and Alcantara offer a uniquely accessible and comprehensive study of factors that matter (and do not matter) to political support. Experimental work on some of the major features of political campaigns highlights the many ways in which the contents of election campaigns can alter information-seeking and vote intentions. Winning and Keeping Power in Canadian Politics offers a rich exploration of the ways in which information and institutions affect Canadian political behaviour."

—Stuart Soroka, Michael W. Traugott Collegiate Professor of Communication and Media & Political Science, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan

From the Publisher