Political Science 2211E Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Dominate, Central Operations
4 Feb 2019
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Document Summary
Primary role of parties, outside of legislature, is to wage elections. Dominant players in elections - which structures a competitive system. Choose people to represent them - party leaders and local candidates. Dominated by long-time party insiders and political professionals - no role for grassroots activities. Citizens can participate - volunteers, relatives/friends/neighbors of candidate. Volunteers are usually very much needed by candidates. National campaigns pick ridings to focus on. Central parties focus on ridings they have a chance at winning. Key ridings parties are increasingly emphasizing activities of their centreal cmpsigns at the expense of opportunties for meaningful participation by grassrots activitists. Focused on centralized campaign strategies; need more volunteers to implement stanrds strategies w little room for local exceptionalism. Centraal campaigns believe vigourous camapigning makes little diffenence but centralized activites help more w election results. Canadian election campaigns are becoing increasingly regionalized and fragmented. Technology is helping them target smaller, and smaller groups.
