Canadian Political Science Association Research Articles

The Gender Gap and Academic Publishing in Political Science: Evidence from Canada

ABSTRACT The underrepresentation of women-authored scholarship in political science journals remains a persistent issue. Studies confirm that a gender gap exists in many leading American and European journals and that a key contributing factor is the lack of supply from women authors. To what extent is this gap present in the Canadian Journal of Political Science (CJPS), given the Canadian Political Science Association’s efforts to promote gender equality? To answer this question, we analyze an original dataset of CJPS submissions from 2008 to 2022. We find that a modest gender gap does exist; women tend to submit fewer manuscripts and publish fewer articles in the CJPS relative to men. On the other hand, we find no evidence of bias against women authors during the review process. In fact, they fare as well or better than men across editorial teams and regardless of the handling editor’s gender.

Capitalist political economy and the political economy of capitalisms: 2022 Rik Davidson/Studies in Political Economy Book Prize

In 2022, Heather Whiteside of the University of Waterloo was recognized with the Rik Davidson/Studies in Political Economy Book Prize for her book Capitalist Political Economy: Thinkers and Theories (Routledge, 2020). This article is an edited version of the book prize talk that she delivered at the Canadian Political Science Association’s 2023 Annual Meeting, held at York University in Toronto. Professor Whiteside summarizes the book briefly and presents some recent works on the political economy of capitalisms, specifically regarding proprietary settler colonialism and Coast Salish capitalism.

Open Access and Academic Journals in Canada: A Political Science Perspective

AbstractThe push to implement Open Access (OA) as the new standard for academic research dissemination is creating very real pressures on academic journals. In Canada, the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) recently adopted a policy requiring that journals applying for its Aid to Scholarly Journals (ASJ) grant make their scholarly content freely accessible after no more than a 12-month delay. For journals such as the Canadian Journal of Political Science (CJPS) that not only publish high-quality, peer-reviewed articles to a specialized audience but also support the work of scholarly associations through the revenues they generate, the push to move to OA comes with a number of challenges. The Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) and the Société québécoise de science politique (SQSP) established a committee to chart the best course of action for the CJPS in light of this changing landscape. This article summarizes the key findings of the committee and underscores some of the challenges of OA for journals with a profile similar to the CJPS, as well as for the broader research ecosystem that they support.

Narrating Canadian Political Science: History Revisited: Presidential Address to the Canadian Political Science Association Toronto, Ontario May 30, 2017–ADDENDUM

Narrating Canadian Political Science: History Revisited: Presidential Address to the Canadian Political Science Association Toronto, Ontario May 30, 2017–ADDENDUM

Into the Mainstream or Still at the Margins? 50 Years of Gender Research in the Canadian Political Science Association

AbstractThe annual conference of the Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) is a disciplinary bellwether that helps us trace the evolution of political science scholarship. This article analyzes research presented at the conference between 1965 and 2015. It shows growth in the gender and politics sub-field and in the presence of women in leadership positions in the CPSA. At the same time, gender-related research is often presented in gender-focused panels and not incorporated across the discipline's sub-fields. This means that gender scholars typically present their work to like-minded researchers, and scholars in other sub-fields have little exposure to gender perspectives. That such siloing occurs at the earliest stages of research dissemination is an important contextual factor in understanding gendered citation patterns, departmental hiring and rates of tenure and promotion. For Canadian political science to remain relevant, more needs to be done to incorporate gender perspectives across the discipline's sub-fields.

Journal Publishing and Marketing in an Age of Digital Media, Open Access and Impact Factors

AbstractWorldwide, the publishing industry has been compelled to change with digital media technology, and some traditional academic journals are struggling to adapt. This article examines the marketing and publicity actions available to the Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique and similar flagship journals in an environment characterized by open access (OA) and impact factor (IF) metrics. It reviews the opportunities and threats presented by a movement towards publishing in ungated forums and pressure in the academic community to prioritize bibliometrics. It then looks at the experience, characteristics and comparative position of the Journal/Revue before reporting on perceptions and recommendations drawn from depth interviews with journal editors, presidents of the Canadian Political Science Association, and a university librarian, which are supplemented by suggestions from editorial board members. It concludes with proposals to address these circumstances head on, many of which are generalizable to other journals wrestling with marketing and publishing in the digital age.

Analyzing how a Social Base Impacts Economic Development and Competitiveness Strategies in a Cross-border Context: the Case of Region Laredo

ABSTRACTIt has been said that, “borders are the scars of history” (Schuman n.d. French Statesman, Founder of European Union), and while that may be true, borders might also be considered as living labs in which social interactions and the ability to coexist ultimately shape economic, social, and political prosperity. The socially-driven concepts of Social Capital, and more recently Social Innovation, are the basis of extensive research across a broad scope of academic arenas. From clusters (Wolfe 2002. Knowledge, Learning and Social Capital in Ontario’s ICT Clusters. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association, Toronto, May (http://www.utoronto.ca/progris/pdffiles/Ontario%27s%20ICT%20Clusters.pdf)) to health care (Global Health Innovation Guidebook), Social Capital and Social Innovation are increasingly considered as tools central to the creation of improved living environments and strong communities. The objective of this paper is to explore the impact that Social Capital and Social Innovation (a Social Base) have on economic development and competitiveness strategies in a cross-border context. To this end and through the application of our analytical framework, we set out to test how these social dynamics and links impact economic development and competitiveness strategies, specifically within Region Laredo.

Representing a diverse canada in political science: power, ideas and the emergent challenge of reconciliation

This article examines Canadian political science and responses to diversity both in terms of who is included in the profession and their reported experiences. Utilizing extant national surveys, including from the Canadian Political Science Association, the findings show that in comparison to the 1970s, the profession today is clearly more “diverse” both in terms of its demographics, as well as what is researched and taught. This in turn relates to changing perspectives affecting policy, practice and research both in Canada and internationally. However, as will also be shown, there are evident and persistent structural inequities in the Canadian academy and the discipline of political science that have deep roots in Canada. Of particular importance in explaining these patterns is Canada’s foundation and legacy as a settler-colony, a feature thrown into sharp relief in light of current efforts at “reconciliation” between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians. It is therefore argued that the state of diversity in Canadian political science needs to be understood in relation to both evolving ideas as well as the historical formation of the Canadian state and social power.

Commentary on Politics of Urbanism: Seeing Like a City by Warren Magnusson

AbstractPolitics of Urbanism: Seeing Like a City is Warren Magnusson's most recent book. It will find a permanent place as a key contribution in the annals of urban studies, urban politics, political and state theory and international relations, marking a turning point in the way scholars, activists and policymakers see the world. In particular, Magnusson fundamentally questions how we understand and analyse our world from the perspective of the state (the illusion of the sovereign), suggesting we shift instead to the perspective of the city (with its multiplicity of authorities). ‘How welcome should this be?’ is the question that I put to three Canadian colleagues — Roger Keil, Andrew Sancton and Zack Taylor — at the 2011 meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association in Waterloo, ON, Canada. Their answers follow a summary of this rather concise and very readable book that Serena Kataoka and I prepared to introduce those commentaries.

A Century of Political Science in Canada

For more than a century, the president of the Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) has delivered an address to his or her colleagues at the discipline’s annual meeting. This essay surveys the CPSA presidential addresses to reflect on the content and practice of political science in Canada: what Canadian political scientists have been studying, and how they have gone about studying it. The author argues that there are resources in the presidential addresses to support both celebratory and denunciatory stories of the history of Canadian political science. The author also suggests three basic realities that any honest history of the discipline, whether celebratory or critical, must address: the two-sided nature of disciplinary fragmentation, the ongoing significance of practical disciplinary concerns, and the omnipresence of the “takers versus givers” question in Canadian political science.

Care, Social (Re)production and Global Labour Migration: Japan's ‘Special Gift’ toward ‘Innately Gifted’ Filipino Workers

The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)1 concluded by the Japanese and the Philippine governments on 9 September 2006, was described in the Japanese media as a ‘new step toward opening Japan's lab...

Diversity and Canadian Political Development: Presidential Address to the Canadian Political Science Association, Ottawa, May 27, 2009

Abstract. This paper argues for a rethinking of how we approach the study of Canadian public policies on diversity and human rights. I explain how human rights can be considered as a distinctive policy field and I consider the advantages and disadvantages of this conceptualization. I then argue for a particular theoretical approach to understanding the evolution of comparative public policies on diversity over time, focusing on a historical, structural and institutional approach to Canadian political development. The development of a specific field of Canadian political development—akin to the subfield of American political development in American politics—can provide a focal point for empirically and historically grounded theorizing about the Canadian case in its North American, comparative and global context.Résumé. Le présent article propose un nouveau regard sur l'étude des politiques publiques canadiennes en matière de diversité et de droits de la personne. J'y explique que les droits de la personne peuvent être considérés comme un champ de politiques distinct et j'y présente les avantages et les inconvénients de cette conceptualisation. Je défends ensuite une approche théorique permettant de cerner l'évolution, au fil des ans, des politiques publiques comparées en matière de diversité, approche qui prend appui sur les dimensions historique, structurelle et institutionnelle du développement politique canadien. L'émergence d'un domaine distinct d'analyse du développement politique canadien – qui s'apparente au sous-domaine du développement politique américain dans la politique américaine – peut servir d'assise à une conceptualisation, ancrée dans l'analyse empirique et historique, du cas canadien dans une perspective nord-américaine, comparative et mondiale.

Canadian Political Science Association Announces 2008 Award Winners

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Polarized Pluralism in the Canadian Party System: Presidential Address to the Canadian Political Science Association, June 5, 2008

Abstract. The Canadian party system is an example “polarized pluralism,” whose key feature is domination by a party of the centre. Centrist domination induces centrifugal tendencies elsewhere in the system. Polarized pluralism accounts for several of the system's peculiar features: three-party competition in individual ridings, contrary to the predictions of Duverger's Law; the existence and episodic dynamics of sectional parties; boom and bust cycles in Conservative party electoral history; and the large gaps between federal and provincial outcomes within many provinces. But domination by a centrist party itself demands explanation.Résumé. Le système canadien des partis politiques exemplifie le «pluralisme polarisé», dont l'élément clé est la force dominante d'un parti du centre. Une telle domination induit des tendances centrifuges ailleurs dans le système. Pour sa part, le pluralisme polarisé explique plusieurs éléments du système canadien : la présence de trois partis compétitifs au niveau de la circonscription, malgré les prédictions du Duverger; l'existence même et la dynamique des partis sectionalistes; l'alternance entre force et faiblesse dans l'histoire du Parti conservateur; et les grands écarts qui se présentent dans plusieurs provinces entre les élections fédérales et les élections provinciales. Dans ce contexte, la force d'un parti centriste se doit d'être expliquée.

The Voting Audience

The Voting Audience

The Voting Audience

The Voting Audience

Modernizing Political Science: A Model-Based Approach

Although the use of models has come to dominate much of the scientific study of politics, the discipline's understanding of the role or function that models play in the scientific enterprise has not kept pace. We argue that models should be assessed for their usefulness for a particular purpose, not solely for the accuracy of their predictions. We provide a typology of the uses to which models may be put, and show how these uses are obscured by the field's emphasis on model testing. Our approach highlights the centrality of models in scientific reasoning, avoids the logical inconsistencies of current practice, and offers political scientists a new way of thinking about the relationship between the natural world and the models with which we are so familiar.Kevin A. Clarke is Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Rochester (kevin.clarke@rochester.edu) and David M. Primo is Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Rochester (david.primo@ rochester.edu). Earlier versions of this paper were presented at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association and at the 2005 Annual Meetings of the Midwest Political Science Association and the Canadian Political Science Association; we thank the participants for their comments. We thank Chris Achen, Jim Alt, Jake Bowers, Henry Brady, Bear Braumoeller, John Duggan, Mark Fey, Rob Franzese, John Freeman, Gary Goertz, Miriam Golden, Jim Granato, Gretchen Helmke, John Jackson, Keith Krehbiel, Skip Lupia, Scott de Marchi, Andrew Martin, Becky Morton, Bob Pahre, Kevin Quinn, Curt Signorino, Randy Stone, and three anonymous reviewers for helpful comments and discussion. We also thank Matt Jacobsmeier for research assistance. Support from the National Science Foundation (Clarke: Grant #SES-0213771, Primo: Grant #SES-0314786) is gratefully acknowledged.

Beyond the Gender Gap: Presidential Address to the Canadian Political Science Association, Saskatoon, 2007

This article identifies a number of potential pitfalls in pursuing research on the gender gap phenomenon, including the risk of categorical thinking, reinforcing gender stereotypes, inviting normative comparisons and creating unrealistic expectations about the emergence of a “women's voting bloc.” It highlights the extent to which studies of gender gaps in vote choice and public opinion have adopted a female-centred perspective and calls for greater attention to the role of men in driving the process of gender re-alignment. It then uses data from a survey of women in Toronto and Montreal to illustrate the importance of moving beyond the gender gap to understand the differences that exist among women, especially along the lines of class and racial background.Résumé. Le présent article décrit un certain nombre de pièges pouvant surgir lors des recherches sur l'écart entre les sexes, notamment le risque de la pensée catégorique, le renforcement des stéréotypes, l'invitation aux comparaisons normatives et la création d'attentes irréalistes quant à l'émergence d'un “vote des femmes en bloc”. L'article souligne à quel point les études portant sur l'écart entre les sexes dans le choix électoral et dans l'opinion publique ont adopté une perspective féminine, et il suggère que plus d'attention soit accordée au rôle de l'homme dans le processus du réalignement des sexes. Les données d'un sondage sur les femmes à Toronto et à Montréal illustrent l'importance de transcender l'écart entre les sexes pour comprendre les différences, fondées notamment sur la classe et la race, qui existent entre les femmes elles-mêmes.

A Question of Balance: The Cult of Research Intensivity and the Professing of Political Science in Canada: Presidential address to the Canadian Political Science Association, Toronto, Ontario, June 2, 2006

Abstract. In 1998, Tom Pocklington's presidential address examined what he believed was a progressive displacement of teaching by research in Canadian political science departments. The purpose of this address is to examine Pocklington's contentions eight years on, after dramatic increases in research funds flowing to Canadian universities. As research funds become more important to the financial health of Canadian universities, we have seen the growth in Canada of what I argue is a “cult of research intensivity.” I argue that the cult has serious implications both for the research that political scientists will do, and for our teaching of undergraduate students. However, I conclude that we need to put the reverential enthusiasm for research intensivity in broader perspective, given the perennial concerns that are expressed over the imbalance between teaching and research.Résumé. En 1998, dans son message annuel, le président Tom Pocklington s'était penché sur ce qui lui apparaissait comme la substitution progressive de la recherche à l'enseignement dans les départements de science politique au Canada. Notre objectif ici est d'analyser les propos de Tom Pocklington quelque huit ans plus tard, à la suite des hausses impressionnantes des fonds de recherche versés aux universités canadiennes. À mesure que les subventions de recherche prennent de plus en plus d'importance pour la santé financière des universités canadiennes, nous voyons dans ce pays l'expansion de ce que j'appellerais le “ culte de la prédominance de la recherche ”. Je soutiens que ce culte a de sérieuses implications tant pour les recherches que mèneront les politologues que pour l'enseignement que nous dispenserons aux étudiants de premier cycle. Je conclus que nous devons replacer dans un contexte plus vaste cet enthousiasme à tous crins à l'égard de la recherche, étant donné les préoccupations qu'a toujours soulevées le déséquilibre entre l'enseignement et la recherche.

Accounting for the Electoral Success of the Liberal Party in Canada Presidential address to the Canadian Political Science Association London, Ontario June 3, 2005

Abstract.I show that the strong electoral success of the Liberal party in Canada stems in great part from the strong support of Catholics and Canadians of non-European origin. In the absence of the fervent backing it enjoys among these two groups, the Liberals would not be among the most successful democratic parties in the world. Yet, we do not have a good understanding of why Catholics and non-Europeans vote Liberal. I argue that the group bases of Liberal support should lead us to question the common interpretation that the party's centrist policy position is the key to its electoral success.Résumé.Je montre que le succès électoral du Parti libéral fédéral au Canada découle en bonne partie de l'appui des catholiques et des citoyens d'origine non européenne. Sans l'appui solide de ces deux groupes, le Parti libéral n'aurait pas remporté les succès électoraux remarquables qu'il a connus. Pourtant, nous n'avons toujours pas d'explication satisfaisante des raisons qui amènent les catholiques et les citoyens d'origine non européenne à voter pour le Parti libéral. Je soutiens que ces tendances sociologiques lourdes devraient nous inciter à remettre en question l'interprétation habituelle selon laquelle les succès libéraux sont attribuables aux positions centristes du parti.