Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level: Views from Canada

In Canada, the quality of municipal democracy has been questioned due to three crucial factors. First, voter turnout tends to be significantly lower for municipal elections than it is for other levels of government. Second, the re-election rate of incumbent candidates is higher compared to provincial, territorial, and federal elections. Third, corruption and other scandals have tarnished the image of local democracy. Are cities sufficiently capable of responding to crises and representing the interests of their residents?

Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level addresses these issues through qualitative and quantitative analysis, focusing on some of the most important characteristics of the Canadian municipal scene, including the contexts of partisanship and non-partisanship, the careers and daily work of municipal officials, and multilevel governance. This volume also assists directly in the collection and dissemination of data about cities as there is currently no centralized system for capturing and organizing electoral statistics at the municipal level.

Municipal democracy in Canada suffers from a representation deficit. Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level is an important first step in building high-quality comparative information on the politics of Canada’s cities.

1127535433
Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level: Views from Canada

In Canada, the quality of municipal democracy has been questioned due to three crucial factors. First, voter turnout tends to be significantly lower for municipal elections than it is for other levels of government. Second, the re-election rate of incumbent candidates is higher compared to provincial, territorial, and federal elections. Third, corruption and other scandals have tarnished the image of local democracy. Are cities sufficiently capable of responding to crises and representing the interests of their residents?

Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level addresses these issues through qualitative and quantitative analysis, focusing on some of the most important characteristics of the Canadian municipal scene, including the contexts of partisanship and non-partisanship, the careers and daily work of municipal officials, and multilevel governance. This volume also assists directly in the collection and dissemination of data about cities as there is currently no centralized system for capturing and organizing electoral statistics at the municipal level.

Municipal democracy in Canada suffers from a representation deficit. Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level is an important first step in building high-quality comparative information on the politics of Canada’s cities.

40.95 In Stock
Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level: Views from Canada

Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level: Views from Canada

Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level: Views from Canada

Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level: Views from Canada

eBook

$40.95 

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers


Overview

In Canada, the quality of municipal democracy has been questioned due to three crucial factors. First, voter turnout tends to be significantly lower for municipal elections than it is for other levels of government. Second, the re-election rate of incumbent candidates is higher compared to provincial, territorial, and federal elections. Third, corruption and other scandals have tarnished the image of local democracy. Are cities sufficiently capable of responding to crises and representing the interests of their residents?

Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level addresses these issues through qualitative and quantitative analysis, focusing on some of the most important characteristics of the Canadian municipal scene, including the contexts of partisanship and non-partisanship, the careers and daily work of municipal officials, and multilevel governance. This volume also assists directly in the collection and dissemination of data about cities as there is currently no centralized system for capturing and organizing electoral statistics at the municipal level.

Municipal democracy in Canada suffers from a representation deficit. Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level is an important first step in building high-quality comparative information on the politics of Canada’s cities.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780773553750
Publisher: McGill-Queens University Press
Publication date: 07/02/2018
Series: McGill-Queen's Studies in Urban Governance , #9
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
File size: 4 MB

About the Author

Sandra Breux is associate professor at the Centre Urbanisation Culture Société of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique. Jérôme Couture is a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre Urbanisation Culture Société of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique.

Table of Contents

Tables and Figures vii

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction Sandra Breux Jérôme Couture 3

Part 1 Discussing Political Parties

1 Sins of the Brother: Partisanship and Accountability in Toronto, 2014 Laura B. Stephenson R. Michael McGregor Aaron A. Moore 23

2 Accountability without Parties? Political Business Cycle and the Re-election of Incumbents Jérôme Couture Sandra Breux 49

3 Political Accountability and Responsiveness: What Is the Role of Municipal Political Parties? Jérôme Couture Sandra Breux Laurence Bherer 76

Part 2 Discussing The Career And Function Of Elected Officials

4 Responsiveness, Accountability, and the Long-Term Development of Local Political Careers in Calgary and Edmonton Jack Lucas Anthony Sayers 107

5 What Happened to Incumbent Councillors in Greater Sudbury and London, Ontario, in 2014? The Role of the Ontario Ombudsman's Reports on Alleged Secret Meetings Andrew Sancton 132

6 Accountability and Local Politics: Contextual Barriers and Cognitive Variety Anne Mévellec 153

Part 3 Issues Regarding Services And Governance In Multilevel Governments

7 Accountability and Local Collaborative Governance Joseph Lyons Zachary Spicer 177

8 The Responsiveness Issue and the Blurry Lines of Accountability in Regional Transportation Planning, Governance, and Finance: The Case of Metrolinx Fanny R. Tremblay-Racicot 200

9 Mirror Image: The Fight against Homelessness in Calgary and Montreal Alison Smith 223

Conclusions

Accountability and Responsiveness at the Municipal Level: Limitations and Opportunities Ruth Dassonneville 249

Do Responsiveness and Accountability Matter at the Municipal Level? Jérôme Couture Sandra Breux 266

Contributors 281

Index 285

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews