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Fair Isn't Always Equal: Constituency Population and the Quality of Representation in Canada.
- Source :
-
Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue Canadienne de Science Politique . Jun2013, Vol. 46 Issue 2, p273-293. 21p. - Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- Is there a conflict between the principles of representation by population and the representation of communities of interest? In Canada, the legal requirement to design electoral districts based on pre-existing regions and communities of interest has produced large discrepancies in district populations. Several authors claim that this situation has a deleterious effect on the representational experiences of those citizens living in more populous districts. This paper examines whether the population of an electoral district affects the quality of political representation in that district. We first present survey data characterizing the relationship between constituency population and citizens' reported satisfaction with democracy and contact with politicians and parties. We then present audit experimental evidence from Canada demonstrating that the helpfulness of politicians towards citizens is not conditioned on constituency population. Our data indicate that constituency population has no clear impact on the quality of representational experiences in Canada, suggesting that it is possible to ensure the effective representation of communities of interest without harming the overall quality of Canadian democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00084239
- Volume :
- 46
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue Canadienne de Science Politique
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 90594258
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1017/S0008423913000231