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Wards, At-Large Systems and the Focus of Representation in Canadian Cities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2016

Royce Koop  and
John Kraemer
Royce Koop*
Affiliation:
University of Manitoba
John Kraemer*
Affiliation:
Queen's University
*
Department of Political Studies, University of Manitoba, 532 Fletcher Argue, Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2, royce.koop@umanitoba.ca
Department of Development, Faculty of Arts and Science, Queen's University, 94 University Avenue, Kingston ON K7L 3N6, j.kraemer@queensu.ca
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Abstract

Proponents of both ward and at-large systems agree that these systems of election play a role in shaping the representational foci (that is, who representatives seek to represent) of city councillors and, in so doing, affect the quality of local democracy. Canadian cities employ both ward and at-large systems of election, and therefore provide an opportunity to explore the relationship between elective systems and focus of representation. We draw on data derived from both 52 interviews with and a survey of councillors in Canadian cities to test the proposition that cities' systems of election influence the representational foci of councillors. We find strong evidence that ward systems are related to a representational focus on geographically defined neighbourhoods, whereas councillors in at-large systems report prioritizing representation of their cities as wholes.

Résumé

Les promoteurs des deux modes de scrutin par quartier et de type at large conviennent que ces systèmes électoraux jouent un rôle dans l’établissement des objectifs de représentation des conseillers municipaux (c.-à-d. les groupes que les représentants cherchent à représenter) et que, ce faisant, ils ont une incidence sur la qualité de la démocratie locale. Les villes canadiennes appliquent aussi bien des modes de scrutin par quartier et at large et offrent donc la possibilité d'examiner la relation entre systèmes électifs et objectifs de représentation. Nous nous appuyons sur des données issues d'un sondage et de 52 entrevues auprès de conseillers de villes canadiennes pour vérifier l'hypothèse selon laquelle les systèmes électoraux influent sur les objectifs de représentation des conseillers. De solides éléments probants révèlent que les modes de scrutin par quartier sont liés à une représentativité axée sur des districts délimités géographiquement, tandis que dans les modes de scrutin at large les conseillers indiquent accorder une priorité à la représentation de leurs villes considérées comme des ensembles.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 49 , Issue 3 , September 2016 , pp. 433 - 448
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 2016 

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