Lecture 7: Provincial and Municipal Leadership Flashcards
1
Q
gender and leadership
A
- Women are visible exceptions
- Men occupy the great majority of positions of top authority in every country in almost all fields of endeavor, and the pace of change is slow
- Gender stereotypes persist
- Individual women display different styles of leadership, just as men in such positions have always done
- Women are aware of the stereotypes that exist and navigate accordingly
2
Q
the performance of gender
A
- Gender is viewed as a continuum of attributes ranging from femininity to masculinity, rather than a binary social construct
- According to Judith Butler (and others), it is constitutive and performative and created by personal behaviors, such as grooming and body movements, publicized interactions, and staged photographs
- The performative nature of gender comes from the repetition of words and actions in an endogenous cycle, where it is unclear whether one acts a certain way because of one’s gender, or whether said act contributes to reinforcing gender
3
Q
territorial government
A
- The territories are governed by their respective governments, which receive their legislative authority (the ability to create laws) from the federal government under federal control
- Ottawa has given territorial governments authority over public education, health and social services, and the administration of justice and municipal government
- Increasingly powers have been handed down from the federal government in a process called devolution
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is the federal ministry responsible for the territories
4
Q
jurisdiction of provincial governments
A
Health care
Education
Welfare and childcare
Municipalities
5
Q
provincial government
A
- Like the federal government, provincial legislatures in Canda have concentrated and centralized power structures
- Power rests in the political executives
6
Q
Rita Johnston
A
- Canada’s first female premier
- B.C. Social Credit party
- Portrayed herself as relatable, used plain language, and succeeded a premier fraught with scandal
7
Q
provincial and municipal leadership takeaways
A
- Premiers are powerful actors in the Canadian political system
- Like other jurisdictions, women as elected officials are underrepresented in the provinces
- While certain patterns and trends exist, we should be wary of generalizations about why women come to office and why their tenure is shorter
- The experiences of women and men in office are different (much harder for women to gain support and continue to hold support)
- Mayors, or at least big city mayors, have greater importance as political actors
- Key to a mayor’s success are their relationships
- Strong mayor powers; a transfer of political responsibility and undermining democracy or a necessary change?
- Gender does not always have a “straightforward role” in municipal politics
- Example of Montreal: parties are not just gatekeepers to women’s political participation; they can also play an enabling role as mobilizing institutions
8
Q
municipal government
A
- Most prominent form of local government in Canada
- Provides local services, facilities, safety, and infrastructure to residents in a defined geographic area (municipality)
- Constitution Act, 1867: “In each province the Legislature may exclusively make Laws in relation to…Municipal Institutions in the Province.”
- Local governments are “creatures of the provinces”
9
Q
big city mayors
A
- Richard Stren and Abigail Friendly (2019) argue that “With globalization and the decline of nation states, cities have become more important economically and politically around the world.”
- City leaders, especially elected mayors, therefore “have assumed greater importance as political actors.” (p.172)
- Must operate at the local, national and international levels
- Influences from the outside include migration, trade, tourism, and policy networks
- Global web of relations
10
Q
importance of big city mayors
A
- Kinds of people recruited
- Must be prepared for a more robust international role
- Requires more “imagination and more research” to deal with international perspectives and influences
11
Q
need for communication
A
- Importance of relationships
- Federal institutions have no formal mechanisms for collaboration or shared decision-making with municipal governments
- Gabriel Eidelman and Jack Lucas (2023) argue that municipal intergovernmental relations “depend heavily on informal institutions and personal relationships”
- Majority of intergovernmental relations take place behind-the-scenes
- Because municipalities are subordinate to federal and provincial governments, relationships are important
- Key role of mayors is to be spokespersons and advocates for municipalities in Canadian federalism
12
Q
strong mayor powers
A
- Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives under Doug Ford passed Bill 3, the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, in September 2022
- Gave powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa that no Ontario mayor has ever had: the power to veto certain bylaws passed by the council, the ability to hire and dismiss senior managers, and stewardship over the city budget; in 2023 expanded to 26 municipalities
- Bill 39, Better Municipal Governance Act, approved by the Ontario legislature in December 2022, gives mayors the power to enact bylaws with one-third support
13
Q
case study: 2017 Montreal election
A
- Valerie Plante elected the first woman mayor in the city’s 400-year history
- Erin Tolley and Mireille Paquet (2021) argue that gender was “not a salient factor in vote choice,” but that it did “shape the organization of the campaign and party”
- They argue victory was, in part, because of a strategy that “showcased a less leader-centric party and a degendered campaign that helped counteract stereotypes about women’s unsuitability for positions of political leadership.” (p.40)
- Became a two-person race
- Also, platform was “degendered”; downplays gender or deploys it strategically
- Women walk a fine line “to brand themselves not just as qualified leaders but also as acceptable women” (p.47)
- Effectively controlled the portrayal of her gender
- Victory was shaped by institutional configurations and campaign dynamics
- Municipal parties becoming more institutionalized in Montreal, which Tolley and Paquet argue can help women
- Still, by and large, Canadian mayors are men; women can be elected as mayors, but “their victories are hard-won and may be dependent on their successful navigation of gendered stereotypes.” (48)
14
Q
Denis Coderre Montreal 2017 campaign
A
- Equipe Denis Coderre pour Montreal a fit classic mould; leader and executive dominant; primary
- Focused on efforts to address longstanding issues such as corruption, infrastructure, and improving the city’s profile
- Had to contend with discontent about some policies, including costs and congestion associated with an electric car race he advocated for in the summer of 2017, the city’s near-constant construction, and a proposed ban on Pitbull dogs
15
Q
Valerie Plante Montreal 2017 campaign
A
- Project Montreal was a less leader-centric, decentralized candidate selection, grassroots engagement, more ideologically coherent policy platform
- Focused on key principles of the party, including the application of sustainable development to urban issues, the implementation of democratic decision-making, the pursuit of accountability and transparency
- Greater grassroots powers; members elect district and borough candidates collectively
- Informal and formal alliances with Québec Solidaire and NDP
