“Partners in Change”: An Analysis of the 2011 B.C. Liberal Leadership Contest
Date
2013-10-17
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Abstract
This thesis will analyze the weighted-constituency method of party leadership selection, using the 2011 B.C. Liberal leadership race as a case study. After reviewing literature on Canadian and British Columbian leadership selection and media reports of the 2011 race, it will utilize constituency-level data to analyze the support bases of each candidate, confirming and challenging existing theories about weighted-constituency contests and British Columbian politics. Regarding weighted-constituency contests, it will argue that the endorsements of political elites are advantageous to leadership candidates; that candidates do not need broad geographic support to succeed; and that candidates with narrow support bases can cooperate to find success. Regarding British Columbian politics, it will argue that regionalism is important; that leadership researchers should employ a broader definition of endorsements; that leadership candidates can mount effective campaigns from outside the caucus; and that ethnicity and immigrant status are variables worthy of future research.
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History--Canadian, Political Science
Citation
Loewen, B. A. (2013). “Partners in Change”: An Analysis of the 2011 B.C. Liberal Leadership Contest (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27262