Do Conventions Matter?: Choosing National Party Leaders in Canada

Do Conventions Matter? provides a complete overview of national party conventions in Canada, from 1919, when the first convention was held, to 1993, including the selection of Stanfield, Trudeau, Broadbent, Clark, Mulroney, Turner, McLaughlin, Chrétien, Campbell, and Manning. Courtney compares leadership selection practices in Canada with those in the United States, Britain, and Australia, and shows that Canadian conventions remain a distinctive means of choosing party leaders. Focusing on modern developments in the convention process, Courtney highlights changes in representation over the last thirty years, addresses criticisms about costs and delegate selection practices, and examines the role of the media. He concludes with an examination of the future of conventions in the context of Canadian democracy, given sky-rocketing costs, the movement to reform political parties, and the push towards a universal membership vote. He argues convincingly that the objectives of greater representation and greater democracy explain both the emergence of conventions to choose the leaders of federal parties and their possible demise in the near future.

Courtney, John C.

History

John Deutsch Institute for the Study of

Do Conventions Matter? provides a complete overview of national party conventions in Canada, from 1919, when the first convention was held, to 1993, including the selection of Stanfield, Trudeau, Broadbent, Clark, Mulroney, Turner, McLaughlin, Chrétien, Campbell, and Manning. Courtney compares leadership selection practices in Canada with those in the United States, Britain, and Australia, and shows that Canadian conventions remain a distinctive means of choosing party leaders. Focusing on modern developments in the convention process, Courtney highlights changes in representation over the last thirty years, addresses criticisms about costs and delegate selection practices, and examines the role of the media. He concludes with an examination of the future of conventions in the context of Canadian democracy, given sky-rocketing costs, the movement to reform political parties, and the push towards a universal membership vote. He argues convincingly that the objectives of greater representation and greater democracy explain both the emergence of conventions to choose the leaders of federal parties and their possible demise in the near future.

Politics & Social Sciences

Politics & Government

McGill-Queen's University Press

In Citizenship, Diversity, and Pluralism leading scholars assess the transformation of these two dimensions of citizenship in increasingly diverse and plural modern societies, both in Canada and internationally. Subjects addressed include the changing ethnic demography of states, social citizenship, multiculturalism, feminist perspectives on citizenship, aboriginal nationalism, identity politics, and the internationalization of human rights. Contributors include Heribert Adam (Simon Fraser), Keith Banting (Queen's), Anthony Birch (emeritus, Victoria), John Borrows (UBC), Alan Cairns, Walker Connor (Trinity College), John Erik Fossum (LOS?Senteret, Norway), Virginia Leary (emeritus, SUNY), Denise Réaume (Toronto), Lynn Smith (justice, BC Supreme Court), Charles Taylor (emeritus, McGill), and Jeremy Webber (Sydney, Australia).

Citizenship, Diversity, and Pluralism: Canadian and Comparative Perspectives

MacKinnon, Peter

Cairns, Alan C.

Social Sciences

Where did the idea for nonpartisan constituency redistributions come from? What were the principal reasons that Canada turned to arm's-length commissions to design its electoral districts? In "Commissioned Ridings", John Courtney addresses these questions by examining and assessing the readjustment process in Canada's electoral boundaries. Defining electoral districts as representational building blocks, Courtney compares federal and provincial electoral readjustments in the last half of the twentieth century, showing how parliamentarians and legislators, boundary commissions, courts, and interested members of the general public debated representational principles to define the purposes of electoral redistricting in an increasingly urban, ethnically mixed federal state such as Canada. Courtney analyses boundary commissions - their membership, degree of independence, and powers. He explores the participation of the public and politicians in the deliberation of the commissions, as well as the extent to which Canada's ridings have moved gradually toward greater population equality and the prospects for further changes in the way electoral districts are designed. Noting that Canada's electoral boundary readjustments are based on principles markedly different from those in the United States, Courtney examines the impact of various Canadian court decisions based on the right to vote, protection of the Charter, as well as new concepts such as community of interest, minority representation, and effective representation. Courtney concludes with an examination of the conditions that must be met before changes to other representational building blocks, such as the electoral system, can be made.

Commissioned Ridings: Designing Canada's Electoral Districts

McGill Queens Univ

Where did the idea for nonpartisan constituency redistributions come from? What were the principal reasons that Canada turned to arm's-length commissions to design its electoral districts? In Commissioned Ridings John Courtney addresses these questions by examining and assessing the readjustment process in Canada's electoral boundaries. Defining electoral districts as "representational building blocks," Courtney compares federal and provincial electoral readjustments in the last half of the twentieth century, showing how parliamentarians and legislators, boundary commissions, courts, and interested members of the general public debated representational principles to define the purposes of electoral redistricting in an increasingly urban, ethnically mixed federal state such as Canada.

Administrative Law

Elections (Canadian Democratic Audit)

Open and competitive elections governed by widely accepted rules and procedures are essential to the legitimacy of any political system. Elections assesses the history and development of five building blocks of the Canadian electoral regime: the franchise, electoral districts, voter registration, election machinery, and plurality voting.Arguing that on balance the Canadian electoral system is truly democratic, John Courtney demonstrates its vast improvements over the years. The right to vote is now generously interpreted. The process of redrawing electoral districts is no longer in the hands of elected officials. Voter registration lists include all but a small whare of eligible voters. And those who manage and supervise elections on behalf of all citizens are honest and trustworthy officials. Using the recent push for reform of the plurality vote system as one example, Courtney also examines why certain electoral institutions have been amenable to change and others have not.In a democracy it is important for citizens to understand the most essential parts of their own electoral system. Elections is an ideal primer for undergraduate students, journalists, politicians, and citizens interested in the current state of Canadian democracy.

Americas

UBC Press

Revival and Change is a compelling account of the elections, accomplishments, challenges, failures, and ultimate end of the Diefenbaker era. The Liberals were widely expected to win a majority in 1957, continuing their two decades in office. But new Conservative leader John Diefenbaker completely overshadowed his opponents. In his appearances on television and at rallies, he captured the mood of the country and, ultimately, the election. A second election the following year brought him a landslide victory, and the Liberals were reduced to their smallest number of seats since Confederation. This is the story of those elections, the issues that defined the government, and the era's legacy in politics and society.

Revival and Change: The 1957 and 1958 Diefenbaker Elections (Turning Point Elections)

University of British Columbia Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Courtney, John C.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Courtney, John C.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Courtney, John C.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Do Conventions Matter?: Choosing National Party Leaders in Canada

Do Conventions Matter?: Choosing National Party Leaders in Canada

Citizenship, Diversity, and Pluralism: Canadian and Comparative Perspectives

Commissioned Ridings: Designing Canada's Electoral Districts

Commissioned Ridings: Designing Canada's Electoral Districts

Elections (Canadian Democratic Audit)

Revival and Change: The 1957 and 1958 Diefenbaker Elections (Turning Point Elections)