Local Campaign Behaviour in Canadian Elections
The Contours of Centralization

By (author) Jacob Robbins-Kanter

ISBN13: 9781487564773

Imprint: University of Toronto Press

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Published: 15/08/2025

Availability: Not yet available

Description
Local Campaign Behaviour in Canadian Elections investigates the relationship between the local and national components of Canadian political parties. Jacob Robbins-Kanter emphasizes the significance of local campaigns – often overlooked by scholars, voters, and the media – and examines when and why these campaigns deviate from national directives during federal elections. Grounded in original data, the book explores the intricate dynamics between local campaigns and central party headquarters during Canadian elections, highlighting their cooperation, clashes, and divergences. It reveals the prevalence of undisciplined local campaign behaviour and the underestimated agency of local actors. The book argues that local campaigns retain meaningful agency to make critical decisions, influence election outcomes, and articulate local interests. Drawing on nearly 100 interviews, primary source documents, and data collected as an embedded researcher during the 2019 federal election, Robbins-Kanter delves into the practice of undisciplined local campaign behaviour, which often challenges or diverges from central party directives. Local Campaign Behaviour in Canadian Elections presents a nuanced portrayal of local actors, positioning them as neither entirely autonomous nor merely instruments of a central party apparatus.
List of Figures and Tables 1. Introduction 2. Local–National Party Relations 3. Constituency Campaign Discipline 4. Voter Canvassing and Campaign Literature 5. Internal Party Communications 6. Local Campaign Self-Discipline 7. Conclusion Appendix A: Methods Appendix B: Ethics Clearance Letters Appendix C: List of Candidate Interview Questions Appendix D: List of Party Strategist Interview Questions Notes Notes Works Cited Index
  • Political parties
  • Professional & Vocational
  • Tertiary Education (US: College)
Height:229
Width:152
Spine:25
Weight:1.00
List Price: £21.99