MPA Major Research Papers
Date of Award
7-15-2024
Degree Type
Major Research Paper
Degree Name
Master of Public Administration
Program
Political Science
Geographical Areas
Town of Aurora, City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Ontario, Canada
Abstract
Municipal election systems have been the source of ongoing debates in recent decades. Calls for change from at-large to ward systems have been more frequent as municipalities across Canada increase in population. While most research conducted on ward and at-large systems looks at singular comparison points, there is no such research that harmonizes the current research and provides a comparative analysis for those in the public sector who may be tasked with researching these systems. A comprehensive systematic review on the subject will provide municipal governments with a summary of points of interest should they be tasked with exploring the two systems in anticipation of an election system change within their own municipality. Strengths and weaknesses of existing research is summarized, including a discussion on future research considerations on the topic. Further, using data analysis and interpretation, a research question aimed at exploring the relationship between election system and voter turnout is broken down into a research design.
Recommended Citation
Stichhaller, Owen, "Municipal Election Systems In Canada: A Systematic Review of Ward and At-large Systems for Municipalities Considering a Change in Election System" (2024). MPA Major Research Papers. 256.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/lgp-mrps/256