The Impact of American Politics on Canadian Voters

Author

Reilly Funk

Date of Award

4-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

Patrick Donnay

Abstract

I analyze to what degree American political forces shape Canadian elections. Due to the unique economic and cultural relationship between the countries, U.S. political and policy changes impact the Canadian political landscape. I examine this relationship with a comparative study using the Canadian Election Study of the 2021 federal election. This data enables analysis of voter behaviour within a wide variety of voters. Tentative findings show that major political events within the United States, such as presidential elections and major policy shifts, have a major impact on election results in Canada. Canadian political parties consistently adjust their messaging strategies to regional and demographic constituencies in response to developments in the U.S. Canadian policymakers need to consider the degree to which American politics impact internal electoral processes and navigate their campaigns with that in mind. Understanding these implications can be extremely beneficial to Canadian political parties.

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