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Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up

Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up

Perceptions and Performance

Edited by Elisabeth Gidengil and Heather Bastedo

Published by: University of British Columbia Press

Imprint: UBC Press

320 Pages, 152.00 × 229.00 mm, 21 graphs and 31 tables

Paperback
9780774828260
Published: October 2014

£26.99

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Hardcover
9780774828253
Published: July 2014

£79.00

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Description
Contents
Authors

Canada is often held up as an example of a healthy democracy. However, the Canadian public is less enthusiastic about the way our democracy works. Rather than focusing on institutional performance, this book approaches the "democratic deficit" from the perspective of the Canadian public and assesses the performance of political leaders and the media in light of Canadians' perceptions and expectations.

In doing so, a number of chapters highlight the disjuncture between perceptions and performance. For example, governments do keep many of their election promises, and media coverage is not as negative as we are apt to believe. Similarly, the book provides new insights into political apathy by drawing on focus group discussions that represent the first attempt to ask politically marginalized Canadians why they have turned their backs on politics.

By introducing the voice of everyday Canadians, this book adds a new perspective to political discussions in this country. Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up is essential for anyone who would like to learn how to build a better democracy – one that meets the expectations of the Canadian public.

Foreword / Michael MacMillan and Alison Loat

Introduction / Elisabeth Gidengil and Heather Bastedo

1 Attitudes toward Democratic Norms and Practices: Canada in Comparative Perspective / Lawrence LeDuc and Jon H. Pammett

2 Canadians' Evaluations of MPs: Performance Matters / Nick Ruderman

3 Repertoire-Building or Elite-Challenging? Understanding Political Engagement in Canada / Michael A. Painter-Main

4 Outsiders: Agency and the Non-Engaged / Heather Bastedo, Wayne Chu, and Jane Hilderman

5 Media and Political Inequality / Quinn Albaugh and Christopher Waddell

6 The Story behind the Story: Evaluating the Content of Political News / Heather Bastedo, Quinn Albaugh, and Alex Marland

7 Social Media and Agenda Setting / Wayne Chu and Fred Fletcher

8 Representing Canadians: Is the 41st Parliament Still a Vertical Mosaic? / Livianna Tossutti and Jane Hilderman

9 MPs on the Home Front: How Constituency Characteristics Influence Representational Approaches / Munroe Eagles, Royce Koop, and Alison Loat

10 Democratic Responsiveness in the House of Commons / Kelly Blidook

11 A Tale of Two Perspectives: Election Promises and Government Actions in Canada / François Pétry

Conclusion: Taking Stock of Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up / Elisabeth Gidengil and Heather Bastedo

Appendix: Samara 2012 Citizens' Survey Methodology

Index

Elisabeth Gidengil is Hiram Mills Professor in the Department of Political Science at McGill University. Heather Bastedo is Skelton-Clark Post-Doctoral Fellow at Queen's University.Contributors: Quinn Albaugh, Kelly Blidook, Wayne Chu, Munroe Eagles, Fred Fletcher, Jane Hilderman, Royce Koop, Alison Loat, Lawrence LeDuc, Michael A. Painter-Main, François Pétry, Alex Marland, Jon H. Pammett, Nick Ruderman, Livianna Tossutti, Christopher Waddell