POL491H1F L0101

Graduate Course Code: POL2103H1F L0101

Topics in Canadian Politics II

Realignment and Dealignment in Canadian Electoral Politics

Themes

Long term and short term change in Canadian politics examined from the perspective of theories of realignment/dealignment and social change; the concept of “critical elections” and its applicability to Canada; the role of social and economic forces in explaining changes in the Canadian party system over time; the importance of demographic and economic factors for understanding contemporary electoral politics in Canada.

Texts

Lawrence LeDuc, Jon H. Pammett, Judith I. McKenzie and André Turcotte. Dynasties and Interludes:
Past and Present in Canadian Electoral Politics. Toronto, Dundurn Press, 2010

Elisabeth Gidengil, Neil Nevitte, André Blais, Joanna Everitt and Patrick Fournier. Dominance and Decline: Making Sense of Recent Canadian Elections. University of Toronto Press, 2012
Cameron D. Anderson and Laura B. Stephenson (eds.) Voting Behaviour in Canada. University of British Columbia Press, 2010

Cees van der Eijk and Mark N. Franklin. Elections and Voters. London, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009

Prerequisites

POL214H1 or POL214Y1 or POL215H5 or POL216H5 or POL224H1 or POL224Y1/POLB50Y3; 1.0 other POL credit in Canadian politics. See the Department's website http://politics.utoronto.ca/undergraduate/courses/fallwinter-timetable/ for POL courses by area group.