(The authors) argue that in Canada...the prime
determinants of the vote are to be found in the psychological
orientations of voters... However, this edition of Absent
Mandate goes well beyond an analysis of the determinants
of voting to attempt to account for the pattern of electoral
politics in Canada.
The argument is that voters respond to the
choices with which they are presented by the parties, and that
Canadian parties have chosen to act as brokers of political interests.
Such parties, according to Clarke et al., attempt to create short-term
coalitions of shifting social groups across a diverse range of
social divisions.... Indeed, according to the authors, the Canadian
parties are so undifferentiated that not only the Liberals and
Conservatives, but even the New Democratic Party, share the commitment
to neoconservatism....
Like its predecessors, the third edition of
Absent Mandate provides a wealth of information on the
Canadian electoral experience. It is theoretically grounded,
empirically rigorous and yet at the same time, highly accessible.
It brings into even sharper focus than the earlier edition its
theoretical perspective, thus greatly facilitating a critical
discussion of the key issues involved in assessing the role of
elections and parties in democratic governance.
CJPS, volume 30, no. 3 (September 1997)
