Faculty of Public Affairs » Public Affairs

Book Release – The Canadian Federal Election of 2011

pierrehamel — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:43:43 +0000

As with every election since the turn of the century, Chris Dornan, Director of the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs and Jon H. Pammett, Professor of Political Science, have edited a comprehensive analysis of the monumental 2011 federal election in Canada. The 2011 Election returned one of the most surprising results of any federal election in this country, and this book illustrates the truly unique layer of hidden electoral potential that informs the fabric of politics in Canada.

The chapters, written by leading academics, examine the strategies, successes, and failures of the major political parties — the Conservatives (Faron Ellis and Peter Woolstencroft), the Liberals (Brooke Jeffrey), the New Democrats (David McGrane), the Bloc Québécois (Eric Belanger and Richard Nadeau), and the Green Party (Susan Harada).

Also featured in this volume are chapters on the nature of local campaigning (Alex Marland), the polls (André Turcotte), the campaign in the new social media (Mary Francoli, Josh Greenberg and Chris Waddell), and the nature of modern conservatism (Jonathan Malloy and Jim Farney). The book concludes with a detailed analysis of voting behaviour in 2011 (Harold Clarke and Tom Scotto) and an assessment of whether Canada is headed for a Stephen Harper dynasty (Jon H. Pammett and Lawrence LeDuc). Appendices contain all of the election results.

Jennifer Robson on financial literacy

ccms_editor — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:21:31 +0000

The costs associated with post-secondary education are enough to deter many students from considering attending University. But many of these students, particularly those from low-income families, aren’t aware of the financial programs available to them, nor are they aware that their earning potential rises significantly if they earn a higher degree.

Marc Frenette and co-author Jennifer Robson, appointed this fall as Lecturer in the Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management, recently examined the issue of “financial literacy” and have published their findings in their report, Low levels of financial literacy pose barrier to higher education.

Frenette and Robson found that Canadian students tend to overestimate the costs and underestimate the benefits of attending University, and this is especially true of low-income students. And, few programs are available to ensure that students are made aware of the financial opportunities available to them.

The report calls for further study on financial literacy as a barrier to post-secondary education for lower-income youth.

Frenette and Robson’s report was published under the auspices of the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO). Both authors will be speaking to the report at the conference, Fear of Finance: Financial Literacy and Planning for Postsecondary Education, hosted by the HEQCO and taking place on November 3 and 4 in Toronto.