P08 - Poster Session 2
Date: Jun 3 | Time: 08:45am to 10:15am | Location:
Section Head: Christopher Alcantara (Western University)
Jury I Members
Christopher Alcantara (Western University)
Helaina Gaspard (University of Ottawa)
Jury II Members
Christopher Cochrane (University of Toronto)
Kate Puddister (University of Guelph)
Let’s Get This Party Started: The Operation of All-Party Caucuses at the Ontario Legislative Assembly: Jennifer Han (Ontario Legislative Internship Programme)
Abstract: The role of parliamentary parties is a fundamental and pervasive component of Ontario’s Legislature. The Standing Orders which outline the rules that govern the Ontario Legislature, make frequent reference to Political parties. While individual members may have influence on party policy, the activities of the legislature are primarily conducted through political parties, and activities operate through the bearings of competing party members. Party members are expected to participate in debates, question period, legislative committees as well as weekly caucus meetings. This paper is interested in the operation of all-party caucuses in the Ontario Legislature. Through primary interviews conducted with party members and independent MPPs, this research seeks to uncover the reasons for how all-party caucuses are formed, why they are formed and what they aim to achieve through them.
Interjections: Heckling in the House by Ontario Members of Provincial Parliament: Meaghan Irons (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: The state of decorum in the Ontario Legislature has drawn a lot of media attention over the last year. From the use of standing ovations in the House to the increasing frequency and viciousness of interjections by Members, the state of decorum appears to be at a low point in the province. When the Speaker, Ted Arnott, issued a memo in September 2019 imploring Members to reduce their use of confrontational behaviour when they returned in October, it became clear that the declining state of decorum was recognized as problematic even by those within the institution itself. This is not a new phenomenon however, as the state of parliamentary decorum has been a newsworthy issue on and off for much of the past decade. As such, this warrants an investigation into how Members of Ontario’s Provincial Parliament (MPPs) use heckling in the house. Specifically, this paper will address the question: when and why Ontario Members of Provincial Parliament heckle? To answer this, a series of interviews with current Ontario MPPs will be conducted, as well as a survey on individual members’ use of heckling, to determine when, why, and how heckling is used by Members. These qualitative results will be accompanied by a content analysis of the Ontario Hansard to determine the frequency of heckling and confrontational behaviour in the Chamber.
“Now Let Us Pray”: An Analysis of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s Prayer Schedule: Misha Apel (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: Religion has become a hot topic in Canadian politics. With an increase in multicultural populations in Canada, should prayers continue to play a role in parliamentary proceedings in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario? During my time at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, I have become curious as to whether the use of prayers in the Ontario Legislature at the beginning of every day has remained the same since the changes introduced with the Speaker’s Panel on Prayer in the Legislative Assembly of 2008 or whether the schedule has adapted. This poster will argue that the Legislative Assembly’s Prayer schedule has varied since the schedule’s inception in 2008 to adapt to suit the changing demographics and perspectives of Ontarians, particularly with the recent changes to the Standing Orders in February 2020. Further, this poster will show that in order to be reflective of today’s demographics of Ontario, the current prayer proceedings should again be revisited and revised.
What's Your Story? The Evolution of the Professional and Academic Backgrounds of MPPs in Ontario.: Eric Osborne (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: This poster will analyze the changing demographic of Provincial Parliament in Ontario based on various factors regarding the backgrounds of Members of Provincial Parliament. This poster will demonstrate how the professional and academic backgrounds of MPPs in Ontario have changed to increasingly include more members with backgrounds outside of the traditional political streams and outline what are the modern factors that drive people to run for elected office. It is often assumed that MPPs have educational and professional backgrounds in the subjects of Law or Political Science. Today, the average age of MPPs is lowering, the number of women in Parliament is increasing and people from a variety of disciplines are running for elected office. Activism is a very prominent subject today, with many young people leading powerful movements across the globe. While being involved in highly political situations, these young leaders come from various backgrounds and are educated in a wide variety of subjects outside of the traditional political subjects. This poster will analyze the educational and professional backgrounds of MPPs from various Parliaments in Ontario and what led them to enter into politics. Utilizing research and interviews with MPPs, factors that will be analyzed include educational background (level and concentration) and professional background (work experience), along with factors that inspired members to enter politics.
The Workplace Culture and Climate within the Offices of MPPs at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario: Jeremy Istead (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: This poster presentation will examine the workplace culture and climate within the offices of Members of Provincial Parliament in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Each MPP is their own employer, and as such has responsibility for establishing the culture and climate of their office. While some academic research has been conducted on political staff, much of it focuses on how they impact the political process, including policy making, rather than their experiences. Furthermore, while there has been research concerning sexual harassment and problematic workplace cultures within Westminster Parliaments, this literature has tended to focus on the experiences of elected representatives.
This project will thus aim to fill this gap by examining the experiences of political staff working in Members’ offices. I will invite staff to share their perceptions of the climate in their office, their experiences of workplace harassment, and what kind of training they received, such as anti-harassment training. I will also compare the climate within the offices of NDP Members, whose staff are unionized, with those of the government and independent parties, whose staff are not. I will interview MPPs and their staff to complete this project, using academic sources where possible.
Democracy for Everyone: Parliament Transparency and Open Data at the Ontario Legislative Assembly: Vanessa Groves (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: My paper explores the impact of technology on how the Legislature functions. Technology has the potential to foster more transparent, accountable, efficient, responsive, and effective governments. Further, it allows civil society to participate in and be knowledge of the legislative process. Using interviews, comparative analysis, primary research and secondary scholarly studies, the paper investigates the ways in which the Legislature keeps up with the modern world, namely other Legislatures, the challenges it may face in ensuring information is being disseminated correctly and meaningfully to the public and propose solutions to overcoming a possible technological gap. Building a more prosperous and equitable society requires that governments are transparent and accountable, and that they engage regularly and meaningfully with citizens.
Furthermore, the paper is situated within the ongoing global data revolution. Open data enables governments and citizens to make better informed decisions. When data can be effectively combined and compared, it can help highlight trends, identify social and economic challenges and inequities, and benchmark progress in public programs and services. Open data can empower governments, citizens, civil society and private sector organizations to work toward better outcomes in areas such as health, education, public safety for example.
Overall, the role of technology is significant because it relates to the open data movement, affects the legislature’s institutional memory, provides further opportunities for open access to information and deepens democracy. Overall, I argue leveraging and utilizing technology will allow the Ontario Legislature to fulfill its functions to the highest degree, which is to better serve Ontarians, MPPs and encourage a healthy democracy.
Could We Hold Question Period in the Cafeteria? How Does the Ceremonial Space of Ontario's Legislative Chamber Influence Its Governance?: Marion Davies (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: Architecture is a powerful form of expression, and the physical space of Ontario's Legislative Chamber has influenced Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and their style of governance for well over a century. This poster and accompanying paper examine the physical symbolism and formality of the Legislative Chamber, and these factors' role in governance throughout the room's history. The methods of this research include interviews with MPPs and staff involved in the historic preservation and continued functioning of the Chamber, as well as a review of historic photographs, newspaper articles, and other primary sources. This poster will examine the tensions between preserving the historic architectural integrity of the Chamber and contemporary demands for accessibility and inclusivity, as well as reconciling the Euro-centric design style as the seat of government in an increasingly culturally diverse Ontario.
Protecting the Precinct: The Evolution of Security Services at Queen's Park: Kieran Lawlor (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: My research will be focused on the changing nature of security services at the Ontario Legislative Assembly, and how the various forms of security services have played a role in the efficient functioning of the Assembly's business. From the Ontario Provincial Police, to the in-house Legislative Security Service, which has now become the Legislative Protective Service, I hope to discuss how and why changes to the structure of security have happened at the Assembly. In particular I hope to focus in on the most recent updates to the Legislative Protective Service and how amendments to the Legislative Assembly Act came to pass. I also hope to discuss the new physical security upgrades to the Leglislative Assembly, and how these changes may affect perceptions of accessibility and openness of government. I hope this research will help contribute to the body of knowledge on the Leglislative Assembly of Ontario by examining one of the most crucial divisions of the Assembly which ensures the safe functioning of the Legislature.
How Can We Reach Our MPPs Effectively?: Angela Butron Gutierrez (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: Members of Provincial Parliament have multiple channels to learn about the issues that concern their ridings. Constituents have the option of visiting their constituency offices, calling or emailing constituency staff, posting on social media, attending community events, signing petitions, organizing protests, or utilizing advocacy and government relations services. The purpose of this research is to determine which avenue of communication is most effective for constituents to reach their MPPs. Primary research will include interviews with current Ontario MPPs to determine which method of communication they prioritize to learn about their constituents' concerns. The results could serve as guidance for civically engaged constituents who wish to have their voices heard in a more effective manner.
The Private Side of Public Life: The Impact of a Legislative Career on the 'Work/Life Balance' of MPPs: Clare MacDonald (Ontario Legislature Internship Programme)
Abstract: It was just over ten years ago that the schedule of the Ontario legislature was shifted away from primarily evening sittings in an attempt to make the Assembly a more 'family-friendly' workplace. This is one of several efforts underway that is intended to allow busy MPPs more access to work/ life balance. The competing concepts of busyness and balance have been thoroughly studied in the context of the broader working world, and this literature will be brought to bear on the work of Members in the legislature. Interviews with sitting MPPs from across different parties will form the basis of the research and will tactfully examine what kinds of pressure politics may place on family and relationship dynamics. The researcher anticipates that this study may be instructive about who in the province of Ontario is able and willing to run for public office.
Where Are All the Racialized Staffers?: Fregine Sheehy (Parliamentary Internship Programme)
Abstract: As a Black woman working on Parliament Hill for ten months as a Parliamentary Intern, I noticed that I was often one of the few racialized staffers in the room, and sometimes the only one. This observation motivated me to study hiring policies in the Parliament Hill offices of backbench Members of Parliament (MPs). This paper examines the hiring policies, or lack thereof, that backbench MPs must follow when staffing their Ottawa offices. Using a Critical Race Feminism framework and a qualitative approach that includes participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and primary and secondary sources, I analyze Parliament Hill's organizational structure and how it relates to race, women, Canadian federal politics, and backbench MPs' staffers. My analysis demonstrates the ways in which the absence of formalized hiring practices has the potential to exclude Black and Indigenous women and other marginalized groups from working in backbench MPs' offices. This absence may stymie the inclusion of diverse voices and exacerbate systemic racism and sexism on Parliament Hill and in Canadian policy making.
Who Is Afraid of the Rising Dragon? The Political Discourse and Public Perceptions of China in the United States: Ion Marandici (Rutgers University)
Abstract: Chinese officials emphasize the peacefulness of China’s rise (Bijian, 2005). However, in the United States, numerous scholars and decision-makers have articulated "the China threat theory" anticipating that China will pose a military threat to the dominant power in the international system (Pillsbury, 2015; Allison, 2017). If they cannot peacefully reconcile their diverging economic and security goals, the United States and China might eventually end up in conflict (Bernstein & Munro, 1998). This article answers the following question: what frames are used by the American political elites seeking to shape the perception of China as a rising threat among voters? To explore how the image of China as an international competitor to the United States has evolved over time, I rely on content and discourse analysis to identify the frames employed by presidential candidates in televised debates from 1960 to 2016. The analysis of the presidential debates points to the perception of China as primarily an economic threat rather than a military threat by presidential contenders. This stands in contrast to the new American National Security and Defense Strategies identifying China and Russia as major strategic rivals. Moreover, 46% of Americans (Pew Poll, 2016) perceive China as a future military challenge. Using survey data, I test whether partisanship, media consumption and authoritarian preferences drive the perception of China as a threat. In line with various partisan elite cue models, my results indicate that, in 2016, partisanship was the best predictor of China’s divergent perceptions among voters.
Examining Leaders' and Candidate Tweets: Case Studies of the Federal Election and the US Primary: Janni Aragon (University of Victoria)
Abstract: This project is focused on using Netlytic (https://netlytic.org/) with Twitter hashtags to follow the Federal Party leaders political campaigns in the Fall 2019 season. The study will also include following Democrat candidates during the Winter 2020 primary season. I used the following tags for the party leaders: #cdnpoli #itsourvote #elxn43 Thus, far my analysis is including a positive, neutral and negative coding for tweets. This coding is uses TextBlob (https://textblob.readthedocs.io/en/dev/) and is Python-based.
Likewise, I will follow three tags for the mid-January to mid-February 2020 primary and caucuses and their use by the Democrat candidates. I want to provide a snapshot of Twitter tags and the positive through negative coding sheds light on the increased efficacy of social media on elections and by high profile candidates. And, the project also demonstrates the utility of using different applications for textual analyses. The project provides good case studies for teaching and learning use for faculty teaching honors students or graduate students. (150 words)
What Motivates States to Join China's Belt and Road Initiative?: Isaac Lawther (University of Toronto)
Abstract: Since 2013, China has been developing an ambitious international infrastructure and investment project called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI has spawned much debate among both observers of China, and scholars of international politics. Some argue that the BRI represents a hostile drive by China to assert regional and global dominance; others suggest that the BRI is relatively benign in its geopolitical ambitions.
However, the conversation around the BRI rests on an assumption that has gone unchallenged. Existing literature often treats BRI partner states as bystanders that passively accept Chinese investment. I situate this paper by arguing there are both supply-side and demand-side factors to the BRI. China, that is, is not the sole beneficiary of the BRI. Instead, for the BRI to be successful, it must also appeal to existing demands of BRI partners. But what are the demands of BRI partners?
In this paper, I explain what motivates countries to join the BRI. My argument is that the BRI did not arise automatically from the relative growth of Chinese economic power, nor can the emergence of the BRI be explained by the lone action of a rising great power. It is clear that partner countries stand to benefit from receiving investments in infrastructure, but at present, it is not clear how states analyze the costs and benefits of being partner to the BRI. Therefore, this paper develops a conceptual framework to help explain the motivating factors that lead countries to join the BRI.
Closed Ports? Criminalizing Solidarity and the Necropolitical Governance of the Sea: Michael Gordon (McMaster University)
Abstract: In May 2019, Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini, declared his intent to formalize the closure of Italian ports to civil society search and rescue (SAR) NGOs operating in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite efforts to mitigate death and suffering at sea, humanitarian SAR NGOs face increasing criminalization with threats of criminal indictments, fines and boat seizure. Criminalizing rescue marks the refusal of EU actors to acknowledge the responsibility of regional border policy in producing migrant deaths at sea and highlights the active efforts to remove SAR NGOs from challenging this necropolitical governance of the EU maritime border. These acts of solidarity with people on the move have been crucial to making the violence of borders visible and confronting political divides between the global north and south, while highlighting the abdication of state responsibility in protecting life at sea. Developing an understanding of the spatiality and politics in these acts of rescue I look at the role of NGOs in resisting state bordering practices, while also highlighting the evolution in state efforts to control migration and mobility in the Mediterranean. The paper argues that the involvement of civil society SAR NGOs interrupts regional bordering practices and contests the perceived singularity of state authority at sea as EU actors seek to re-articulate international space as the sole purview of the state. Furthermore, the criminalization of rescue enables the continuation of the necropolitical governance of the sea by ensuring the maritime border remains a space of violence and death for people on the move.
Understanding National Interest Formation in Regional Standard Processes in CARICOM Food Policy: Lucy Hinton (University of Waterloo)
Abstract: To tackle the Global Syndemic (the nexus of undernutrition, overnutrition and climate change) caused by our food systems, policymakers around the world are pursuing public health interventions that curb consumption of ultraprocessed foods. Multisectoral policies in particular have been see as a way to target the complexity of the global syndemic. The Caribbean Community is currently pursuing a regional standard for pre-packaged foods that includes a measure on Front-of-Pack (FOP) nutrition labelling. Designed based on the successfully legislated Chilean “High-in” Warning Labels, the CARICOM endeavour is fundamentally different as the relevant regional agent is a standard-setting body.
Using a process that is normally designed to facilitate trade and manufacturing in the private sector meant involved actors had to confront issues of legitimacy, power and interests, among perceived and real sovereignty tensions that underlie a regional governance arrangement. As such, this paper will explore the arguments put forward in support of and against FOP nutrition labels in the region, deeply contextualized in the regional context. The paper focuses on the primary experiences of members of the National Mirror Committees (NMCs) in three case study countries: Barbados, Jamaica and Saint Kitts and Nevis. It further considers the inter-regional politics of the Regional Technical Committee (RTC), to make the case that member-states have different influences on the regional level based on domestic balance of interests and context.
The Political Marketing Gap in Student Council Elections: Adam Harmes (University of Western Ontario), Ryan McCuaig (University of Western Ontario)
Abstract: This paper draws on a survey, conducted in 2019, of Canadian university student council election winners. The aim was to identify the specific campaign techniques used across a number of categories including market research, strategy, messaging, paid and earned media, campaign events, direct voter contact, and get-out-the-vote. These techniques were then compared to current political marketing best practices as identified in the academic and practitioner literatures. The findings reveal that a ‘political marketing gap’ exists between the techniques that could have been applied in the student election context and those that were actually used by successful student council candidates. It further argues that the concept of a ‘political marketing gap’ can provide a useful tool for analysing election and advocacy campaign effectiveness.
Political Crisis and Diaspora Enfranchisement: The Emigrant-Citizens of Egypt and Tunisia: Ahmed Khattab (Georgetown University)
Abstract: How do political crises affect the relationship between home states and their emigrant communities? Through the lens of the Arab uprisings and antecedent politics, I examine how major political developments shape this transnational exchange. Crises and enfranchisement opportunities motivate “diasporic entrepreneurs” to mobilize members at the fault lines of home country politics. The paper constructs a paired comparison of Egypt and Tunisia in order to explain their respective emigrant enfranchisement policies and subsequent diaspora reactions. I argue that both states experience discursive bargaining over the notion of extraterritorial citizenship and specifically diasporic rights in the form of constitutional amendments, nationality and citizenship law modifications, judicial textual reinterpretations, and contested voting procedures and candidacy requirements that paralleled their respective political crises. The paper traces Egyptian and Tunisian emigration and diaspora formation in the past decades. It also articulates the institutionalization of home state ties with its citizens abroad. Overall, the paper strives to account for revealing the contentious politics of activating and deactivating diasporic communities during politically turbulent times.
Political Crises and Diaspora Enfranchisement by Nondemocracies: Ahmed Khattab (Georgetown University)
Abstract: This paper aims to explore the ways by which political crises in nondemocracies are associated with their emigrants’ politicization. At times of crisis, states seek the recognition and legitimation of domestic political processes abroad. They also reinforce diasporic ties as a mechanism of monitoring and control. Both crises and subsequent political rights extensions motivate the diaspora to seek opportunities for political activity. "Diasporic entrepreneurs" abroad therefore mobilize members at the fault lines of home country politics. An autocratic resolution to the home country’s crisis would expectedly lead to a restricted, contained, and largely symbolic diaspora enfranchisement, while a democratic resolution would lead to an expansive, inclusive, and empowering diaspora enfranchisement. Given the Arab Spring and antecedent politics, I argue that these diaspora enfranchisement outcomes do not neatly comply with expectations of the democratization-rights extensions nexus. The paper will discuss how these developments increasingly reveal the contentious politics of (de)activating diaspora communities.
Japanese Trade Policy in the Asia-Pacific: TPP Policymaking Structure: Jemma Kim (Meiji University)
Abstract: Despite the diffusion of free trade agreements in the 1990’s, in what is often referred to as “the third wave” of FTAs (Free Trade Agreements), Japan has generally held a negative attitude toward bilateral FTAs, lauding the benefits of the WTO (World Trade Organization). However, in a dramatic turnaround, the Japanese government today is actively pursuing bilateral and regional FTAs. Why and how did these policy changes occur? Drawing on the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) negotiation process as case studies, this article explores the sources of change in Japanese domestic policy thinking, in particular the shift in patterns of policy development, by empirically examining key actors, their preferences, and the dynamism of patterns between conflict and cooperation among these actors. Based on interviews with TPP policymakers within the Japanese government (including officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) , I elaborate the main factor in driving Japanese trade policy shift.
The Policy Consequences of the Supreme Court of Canada’s (SCC) Charter Decisions Have Received Extensive Examination in the Literature: Marc Zanoni (University of Guelph)
Abstract: The policy consequences of the Supreme Court of Canada’s (SCC) Charter decisions have received extensive examination in the literature. Scholars who examine impact tend to follow a similar research design — case-studies of a specific Supreme Court of Canada decision are used to assess the judgment’s impact on a specific policy issue area. This has led to important contributions, but this research project takes an alternative approach. It uses punctuated equilibrium theory to determine the size and consequences of judicial involvement across a number of social policy areas. Rather than use case-studies to trace specific decisions, then, judicial policy impact is examined at an aggregate level, thereby offering a more holistic understanding of the SCC’s policy role. The findings from this aggregate analysis will be discussed and presented.