Kyle Warwick - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Kyle WarwickPolitical Science 492Progress Report 2December 1, 2010

Indo-Canadian Representation in Municipal Vancouver Politics

(Tentative Title) Slide2

OutlineIntroduction (Changes in Scope, Overview)Research Question

Hypothesis

Key Concepts

Other Concepts

Methodology

Challenges and RoadblocksSlide3

Changes in EmphasisNot completely fundamental in nature

Richmond and Surrey now included as comparisons

Much less detail on historical context

Now analyzing candidate communications

Also looking at voting behaviour literature

Prescriptive solutions section essentially abandoned

Complicating the notion of elites- i.e. Party activistsSlide4

Overview/ReviewVancouver’s elected representatives historically unrepresentative

Diversity has been increasing in particular cases (Chinese at all levels, Indo-Canadians at provincial and federal levels)

Indo-Canadians still rare in municipal government

Indo-Canadians are 2

nd

largest minority in Vancouver

Unrepresentative legislature considered problematic by numerous theoristsSlide5

Research Question

What explains the continued lack of Indo-Canadians in Vancouver municipal government, given Vancouver’s recent tendency to elect (relatively) ethnically representative legislative delegations?Slide6

HypothesisVancouver’s at large system is a significant cause, due to geographic clustering of Indo-Canadians

Electoral system not the only factor, because Surrey and Richmond Councils have same electoral system, but less substantial representation gaps

Therefore, other variables at play- next slides will analyze which onesSlide7

Updates to Lit ReviewNew sources used in coming slides

Variables are not organized by book

Ravi and Krishna

Pendakur

- various

John Porter- Vertical Mosaic

Robert Putnam- Comparative Study of Political Elites

Gary Cox- Making Votes Count

Wojciech

Cwalina

et al. A Cross Cultural Theory of Voting Behaviour

Samuel J.

Eldersveld

- Political Elites in Modern Societies

Citizenship – John Stanley RoseSlide8

Primary Variables of InterestElectoral system

Social networks

Ethnic community size, concentration, unity

Voter attitudes in ethnic communities, and at large

Perceived importance of co-ethnic representationSlide9

Variables to ControlCandidate visibility/profile

Salience

of various group labels to members, and for the wider public

Generation

of immigrant i.e. 1

st

or

2

nd

Strength

of parties in given election

T

ype

of campaign strategiesSlide10

Possible Additional VariablesInfluence

of your/your parent’s home culture

D

istrict

magnitude

N

umber

of candidates

A

lphabetical order of candidates

C

ost

of political campaign

H

istory

of a given city

S

ocio-economic

status of

candidates

Unconscious racismSlide11

Additional Possible VariablesCouncil

vs

Parks

vs

School board

Policy

traceablility

Voter turnout, in ethnic communities, and wider community

Characteristics of party activists

Key causes of party cleavages

Policy traceabilitySlide12

Tentative Interview Questions

Do representatives see role as

Burkean

– do constituents agree

Do ethnic party signups stay engaged between elections

Salience of particular ethnic labels

Influence of political traditions from one’s/parents culture

Perceived importance of given offices

Relevance of co-ethnic representation

Perceived profile of certain candidates

Key political actors in given community

Ethnic activist engagement in non-election periodsSlide13

Other Operationalization Ideas

Ethnicity- super-impose census- it

is available

in detail

Voting systems- straightforward- Cox but also others

Social network- Putnam and

Eldersveld

Campaign literature analysis from

CwalinaSlide14

Challenges and SuggestionsInterview questions thus far are arguably more survey oriented- do I want more open-ended or different questions.

Which of my variables should I not worry about

Are my variables isolated, do they confound, overlap in ways I haven’t

forseen

?

Any other suggestions?