The Candidacy Calculation: Challenges to Running for Elected Office in Canada

The Candidacy Calculation examines how perceptions of barriers to candidacy in Canada differ by social, economic, and political backgrounds. Through semi-structured interviews with 101 individuals from diverse social backgrounds, geographical locations, and political ideologies, this book uncovers both new and previously overlooked challenges such as online harassment and social media scandals, while also offering a deeper understanding of traditional barriers like financial constraints, work-life balance, employment issues, partisanship, and family responsibilities. The findings demonstrate that individual considerations regarding candidacy are much more complex than previously thought.

Drawing on an intersectional approach, the book analyses how factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, sexuality, age, and other social attributes intersect to create unique barriers to political careers, thereby presenting a nuanced view of the candidate emergence process in Canada. By rigorously testing the role of political ambition in fostering diversity in political representation, The Candidacy Calculation compares the experiences of women and men, various social groups, and individuals who have become candidates with those who have not. The book aims to assist policymakers and activists in identifying solutions to overcome barriers and enhance opportunities for increasing candidacy among under-represented groups in politics.

Angelia Wagner is an adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta.