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Lecture 13: Participation in Canada

SOSC 152

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A. Modes of Participation: What forms does participation take?

B. What factors affect level of participation?

C. Analysis of Canadian Participation

D. Role of Elections

E. Interest Groups in U.S. and Canada

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Canada

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A. Modes of Participation: What forms

does participation take?

Verba and Nie, Participation in America

four modesVoting

campaign activity

communal activity

personal contacting

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The Participation Input: Summary

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The Participation Input: Summary (con’d)

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B. What factors affect Participation? 1. Who do people vote for?1. Who do people vote for?

Party ID predicted which presidential candidate people voted for in 1952 and 1956 electionsparticularly strong for people who did not hold a strong view about a particular candidategreat stability in voting behaviour as people adopted Party ID of parents.

2. Background Explanations for Modes and Levels of 2. Background Explanations for Modes and Levels of ParticipationParticipation

a. Socio-Economic Status (SES)Very nice correlation between SES and Level of Participation (See Figures 8-1 and 8-2)

SES and Level of Participation strong for three types of behaviour, not important for particular contactingbased on responses to questions, each person received a score for their level of participation

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Social status and Political participationP

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Mean participation rates of Six status groupsL

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b. Age:level of participation drops as people get near retirement age, but this may also be due to a drop in their income or SES.older people have lower income, and older groups in study had lower levels of education

c. Race and Participation:African-Americans tend to participate less, but due to their lower socio-economic statuson average they are poorer than whites, so on average they participate less than whites. but African-Americans at higher SES participated more than whites of same status. (see Table 10-2)

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Mean participation score of Blacks & Whites

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C. Analysis of Canadian Participation 1. Canada has higher levels of participation than U.S.

Why: no need to register for elections

2. Regional variations in level of participation based on competitiveness of provincial party system

if one party continues to win in the province, people vote less overall in that province.

3. SES very important in explaining level of participationSee Table 9.3

4. Modes of Participation:Canadians less likely to use civil disobedience or protests that Americanscitizens have chance for input through federal commissions and referendum

5. Age important in Canada old people vote more but participate less in other forms of

political activity

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Who participates in selected political activities (1983-84)

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The Extent of Political Participation

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D. Role of Elections: 1. opportunity for recruitment of new leaders, build

legitimacy for system2. What Explains Voting Behaviour?

Party ID very weak in Canada=quite “volatile” electorate (浮動的 )most votes based on opinions of party leaders, not party platform50% of population thought qualities of leader more important than policies or issuespeople generally uninformed about party's views on specific policiespeople shift freely (20% in 1979) from party to party at electionLiberals continued in power as new immigrants voted for party in power when they arrive"replacement process”--so large immigration helps party in power

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3. Why “fickle” electorate (一腳踏多船 )?"split identifiers" with citizens having loyalty to more than one party

one at federal level, one at provincial level, allows for shifts

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E. Interest Groups in U.S. and Canada

1. Labour Unions much more powerful in CanadaCanadian Labour Congress directly linked to NDP1/3 of non-agricultural workers unionized--less than 20% in US

2. Structure of Government makes lobbying less important in Canada than US

legislative process much more secretive in Canada than U.S.key decisions taken in Caucus of parliamentary party under party leader's control--hard to get accessin US, key policies come out of committees which hold hearings and invite interest group presentations

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in Canada, bureaucrats more responsible for new policies; groups cultivate bureaucrats not politicians"single issue groups" cannot get hearing in Canadian system, use protest activity--in U.S. single issue groups lobby politicians

3. Elections as Key ExplanationCanadian elections less expensive than US electionscandidates rely more on party funds than public funds in CanadaUS congressmen rely on "single issue constituencies" across entire country who contribute campaign funds to Congressmen who support their causeU.S. Congressmen could keep unused campaign funds after retirement, strong incentive to support interest groups and get funding.

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Running for Office: Canada vs. U.S.A.