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This paper explores the effect of macroeconomic conditions on incumbent vote in Canadian federal elections during the 1953-2000 period. Building on the extant literature, it proposes an improved model of economic voting that takes into account party politics, suggesting that it affects the extent to which incumbents are punished for economic deterioration. The results of the analysis indicate that party politics does matter, as incumbent governments can (and do) manage to convince the electorate that they can effectively deal with rising inflation or unemployment, and be re-elected in the context of deteriorating economic conditions. We argue that Canadian political parties obtain such prospective support through efficient campaigning, but also as a result of their reputation at managing the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the role of issue ownership in individual vote choice in the 1997 & 2000 Canadian federal elections. As a correction to the original model, we find that issue ownership's effect on vote is conditional upon the salience of the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]