Unsteady State The 1997 Canadian Federal Election

by Nevitte, Neil; Blais, André; Gidengil, Elisabeth; Nadeau, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780195414660
• ISBN10: 0195414667
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-11-04
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This volume falls into the recognized sub-field of election studies. The team of scholars co-writing the volume was assembled to conduct a detailed study of voter behaviour in the 1997 federal election. Using broadly based surveys and a question-centred approach, the authors have attempted toanalyze the results of the election. Chapters are organized around easily recognizable and understood questions: did the media treat all the parties fairly? Did the leadership debates have any impact on the outcome? What about Reform's Quebec attack ads? Did Canadians vote strategically? Why did theLiberals lose seats when the economy was performing better? How did the leaders help or hurt their parties? Why couldn't Reform win any seats in Ontario? Why did the NDP do better in Atlantic Canada? Do values matter to the way people vote?

Table of Contents

List of Figures	vi
List of Tables	viii
Acknowledgements	ix
Setting the Stage
Introduction
Questions of Context
Political Parties and Voters	1	(7)
The Vote
The 1997 Election in Perspective
The Regional Vote
Do Voters Vote Strategically?
First and Second Choices
Campaign Dynamics
The Flow of the Vote
Conclusion	8	(16)
Television Coverage in the 1997 Election
Getting Visibility
Media Statics: The Winners and the Losers
Media Dynamics: Gaining and Losing Ground
The Turning Points
The Impact on the Vote
Conclusion	24	(21)
Ideological Landscape
Ideological Structures
Basic Outlooks
Communal Outlooks
The Ideological Distribution of Voters in 1997
Ideological Change?
Conclusion	45	(13)
Low Turnout: A Sign of Disaffection?
How Low Is 67%?
Who Did Not Vote?
Reasons for Not Voting
Conclusion	58	(8)
A Small Liberal Victory
Is the Liberal Party the `Natural' Party of Government?
The Economy and the Vote
Assessing the Performance of the Liberal Government?
What about Jean Chretien?
Conclusion	66	(13)
The Progressive Conservatives: A One-Man Show
A Shrunken Core
In Search of a Winning Issue
The Charest Paradox
Conclusion	79	(11)
The Reform Party and the Limits to Growth
The Bases of Reform Support
Why Is the Reform Party Considered Extreme?
Ontario: The Failure to Break Through
The Prospects for a United Alternative
Conclusion	90	(13)
The NDP: Off the Radar Screen
Out of Touch or Out of Sight?
The Atlantic Breakthrough
The Gender Gap
Conclusion	103	(14)
Why Did the Bloc Quebecois Lose Ground?
An Autopsy of the Setback
The Decline of Sovereignty?
The Utility of a Sovereignist Party in Ottawa
The Economy
The Popularity of the Political Leaders
Defections: Were Moderate Sovereignists
Easy Prey for Jean Charest?
Conclusion	117	(10)
Unsteady State
An Evolving Party System
Lessons Learned: Short-Term Factors
The Long-Term Lessons?
What Does the Future Hold?	127	(9)
Appendix A: The 1997 Canadian Election Study	136	(2)
Appendix B: Factor Analysis of Ideological Dimensions	138	(5)
Appendix C: The Vote Regressions	143	(18)
Appendix D: Explaining Turnout	161	(2)
Notes	163	(8)
Bibliography	171	(8)
Index	179