Local and Urban Politics

E01 - Local Political Institutions and Representation: New Survey Evidence

Date: Jun 3 | Time: 08:30am to 10:00am | Location:

Chair/Président/Présidente : Sophie Borwein (University of British Columbia)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Zac Spicer (York University)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Sarah Lachance (University of Calgary)

This panel uses data from large-scale surveys of elected representatives and the Canadian general public to explore political representation in local and urban politics from the “supply side” of public opinion and political institutions and from the “demand side” of politicians’ perceptions of their roles.

Ideology and Geographic Proximity in Municipal Policy Attitudes: Jack Lucas (University of Calgary)
Abstract: Recent research has argued that Canadian municipal politics and municipal policy attitudes are strongly structured by left-right ideology. Yet many local policy issues appear to create coalitions of support and opposition that are not ideologically structured, such as pro-density left-leaning citizens who oppose a specific local housing development, or fiscally conservative residents who support taxpayer-funded local amenities in their own neighbourhoods. In short, while municipal policy attitudes and voting may well be ideologically structured, the role of left-right ideology may be attenuated in actual local policy debates because of the way these debates also engage local interests and preferences related to allocational decisions. In this paper, we use data from a novel nationally representative survey of nearly 6,000 urban and suburban Canadians to explore the consequences of locally proximate allocational “goods” and “bads” for the relationship between ideology and municipal policy attitudes. Using a “topic sampling” survey experiment, we solicit attitudes on an exceptionally broad and diverse set of municipal policy issues: a total of 40 municipal policy issues ranging from active transportation to policing to affordable housing. By randomizing the character of these issue statements – some framed in general terms, others framed in terms of consequences for the respondent’s local neighbourhood – we are able to explore whether and under what conditions allocational concerns shape attitudes in a manner that supplants or dampens the role of ideology in municipal policy. Our findings have implications for theoretical debates about the role of ideology in municipal politics, and for research on municipal policy making more generally.

A Job or a Calling? Defining the Contemporary Municipal Elective Function: Sandra Breux (Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique), Anne Mévellec (University of Ottawa)
Abstract: Whether due to resignations or incivilities, the municipal elective function is currently under stress. This observation leads us to question the elective function and the way it is defined by both elected representatives and citizens. While many studies today analyze the professionalization of elected officials, fewer question elected officials and citizens on the definition of this function and the representations they generate. Based on the results of two major Canadian Municipal Barometer surveys conducted in 2025 (one aimed at elected officials, the other at the general public), we will detail the views held by those who govern and those who are governed on the status of elected office, the reasons for current resignations, the elements that enable people to have confidence in an elected official, and the areas in which an elected official should be trained. Comparing the responses of elected representatives with those of the general public will highlight potential commonalities and differences in understanding the elective office. It will also highlight the contemporary issues of elective professionalization and political representation.

Election Outcomes and Support for Remote Voting – The Case of the 2024 Nova Scotia Municipal Elections: Michael McGregor (Toronto Metropolitan University), Scott Pruysers (Dalhousie University)
Abstract: Election outcomes are known to affect satisfaction with democracy, such that supporters of ‘losing’ candidates experience a decline in democratic satisfaction relative to those who vote for ‘winners’ (Blais and Gélineau 2007; Henderson 2008). At the same time, there is evidence that support for remote voting methods (mail and internet) varies according to partisanship in Canada (Wu and Dawson 2024), the United States (Clinton et al. 2002) and Estonia (Ehin and Solvak 2021). Given these patterns, and the somewhat contentious nature of remote voting methods, there is reason to expect that support for mail and internet voting might be affected by election results. In this paper, we consider if and how election outcomes affect support for remote voting methods, among both electors and candidates in the 2024 Nova Scotia municipal elections. We draw upon original online surveys of eligible voters (N≈850) and candidates (N≈150), collected in pre- and post-election waves. Nova Scotia’s 2024 local elections provide an interesting case to explore for two reasons. First, few Canadian jurisdictions offer multiple remote voting options (Goodman et al. 2024). Second, all but a handful of municipalities in Nova Scotia employed both mail and internet options in 2024. By considering the views of both electors and candidates, and by extending research on the winner/loser gap to support for remote voting, this paper provides new insight into the attitudes of election winners and losers.

Does Partisanship Matter? Evidence from a Survey Experiment of Calgary Voters: Elliot Dillabough (University of Calgary), Jack Lucas (University of Calgary)
Abstract: Do municipal voters care about candidates’ provincial partisan affiliation? Some political scientists suggest that municipal politics does not support the existence of partisan divisions. Despite the majority of Canadian municipal elections taking place within a formally non-partisan setting, there is increasing evidence that municipal voters prefer voting for provincial or federal co-partisans. Using experimental data from a survey of Calgary voters, we test the effects of in-party cues on voters’ likelihood to support hypothetical candidates, as well as whether this relationship is moderated by making statements supporting municipal non-partisanship. We find that providing in-party cues has a significant positive effect on the likelihood of supporting a candidate, but that candidate statements downplaying their partisan affiliations have a negligible effect on the strength of the in-party effect. Our research suggests that partisanship cues, even from other levels of government and in a non-partisan context still influence voter assessments.