Local Campaign Behaviour in Canadian Elections: The Contours of Centralization

Local Campaign Behaviour in Canadian Elections investigates the relationship between the local and national components of Canadian political parties. Jacob Robbins-Kanter emphasizes the significance of local campaigns – often overlooked by scholars, voters, and the media – and examines when and why these campaigns deviate from national directives during federal elections.
Grounded in original data, the book explores the intricate dynamics between local campaigns and central party headquarters during Canadian elections, highlighting their cooperation, clashes, and divergences. It reveals the prevalence of undisciplined local campaign behaviour and the underestimated agency of local actors. The book argues that local campaigns retain meaningful agency to make critical decisions, influence election outcomes, and articulate local interests.
Drawing on nearly 100 interviews, primary source documents, and data collected as an embedded researcher during the 2019 federal election, Robbins-Kanter delves into the practice of undisciplined local campaign behaviour, which often challenges or diverges from central party directives. Local Campaign Behaviour in Canadian Elections presents a nuanced portrayal of local actors, positioning them as neither entirely autonomous nor merely instruments of a central party apparatus.

Jacob Robbins-Kanter is an assistant professor in the Department of Politics and International Studies at Bishop’s University.