Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Geography & Environmental Studies

Faculty/School

Faculty of Arts

First Advisor

Ian McKay

Advisor Role

Thesis Supervisor

Abstract

Previous studies in different countries have unfolded consequential relationships between a number of socio-economic factors and voting behavior. Ethnicity, religion, trade or profession were among the most useful voter characteristics in explaining party preference. While hypotheses of voting behavior for Canada are also prolific, most of them were based upon local studies. The present study of 53 selected incorporated cities in 1963 general election attempts to test such hypotheses at the national level. The majority of the proposed independent variables were derived from the previous case studies. The hypotheses were tested by means of a computerized multiple regression analysis.

The maps of percentage of total votes cast for the Liberal, the Progressive Conservative and the New Democratic Parties, revealed a regional rather than a national pattern of voting preference. Mixed patterns existed in the province of Ontario while the province of Quebec and the West were mainly dominated by the Liberal and the Progressive Conservative Party respectively. The strength of the New Democratic Party was scattered in the West and Ontario only.

Despite the adoption of a large number of variables only a few of them were useful in explaining the national patterns. The statistical results confirmed that ethnic and religious variables rather than socio-economic ones best indicated national political party support. Further study of the regional patterns based on the stratified sampling method is recommended.

Convocation Year

1970

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