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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Western University

2009

Elections

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Electoral Cycles In Ontario Municipalities: Does Election Proximity Make Local Politicians More Competitive?, Mathew Daley Jul 2009

Electoral Cycles In Ontario Municipalities: Does Election Proximity Make Local Politicians More Competitive?, Mathew Daley

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether an electoral cycle is present in Ontario municipal governments and whether the proximity of an election causes municipal councillors to become more competitive. An analysis of 18,675 municipal council votes between 2003 and 2006 was conducted for the following municipalities: Ottawa, Hamilton, Brampton, London, Markham, Vaughan, Windsor, and Kitchener. The findings reveal a positive correlation between time and competition in three-quarters of the observed municipal councils, indicating the presence of an electoral cycle in Ontario.


Municipal Voter Turn-Out In Ontario: An Analysis Of Community Theories And Their Application To A Prescription For Higher Voter Turn-Out In Municipal Elections, Stephen Chait Jun 2009

Municipal Voter Turn-Out In Ontario: An Analysis Of Community Theories And Their Application To A Prescription For Higher Voter Turn-Out In Municipal Elections, Stephen Chait

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines voter turnout as a proxy for civic engagement by applying the analytical lenses of Robert Putnam’s social capital theory and Richard Florida’s creative capital theory to test critical assumptions regarding the impact of size (population), diversity (immigration), creativity (education and employment), and mobility (length of residency) on voter turnout. A sample of 30 Ontario urban municipalities was analyzed based on data from the 2006 Census. The findings reveal that there is a negative correlation between voter turnout and population size and density; a negative correlation between voter turnout and non-official mother tongue and immigrant status; a negative …