What do you think?
Rate this book
No I in Team: Party Loyalty in Canadian Politics
Why are Canadian politicians so loyal to their parties? Why do so few parliamentarians rebel as mavericks or switch sides? And can anything loosen the grip that party leaders have on elected representatives?
No I in Party Loyalty in Canadian Politics by political scientists Alex Marland, Jared J. Wesley, and Mireille Lalancette provides the first in-depth examination of the forces shaping party loyalty in Canadian politics, revealing how Members of Parliament and provincial legislators are conditioned to prioritize partisan interests over constituents and independent judgment. The authors show how institutional rules, political pressure, social dynamics, and digital technologies reinforce a system demanding unwavering loyalty. Drawing on extensive interviews with politicians and senior staff, plus analyses of thousands of news stories spanning four decades, this book traces how party discipline evolved into message discipline, where control over speech is as strict as control over votes.
As political parties consolidate power and dissenting voices grow rarer, No I in Team raises urgent questions about the state of democratic representation in Canada – one of the world’s most stable democracies – where elected officials increasingly act as partisans rather than delegates of their communities or trustees of the broader public good.
No I in Party Loyalty in Canadian Politics by political scientists Alex Marland, Jared J. Wesley, and Mireille Lalancette provides the first in-depth examination of the forces shaping party loyalty in Canadian politics, revealing how Members of Parliament and provincial legislators are conditioned to prioritize partisan interests over constituents and independent judgment. The authors show how institutional rules, political pressure, social dynamics, and digital technologies reinforce a system demanding unwavering loyalty. Drawing on extensive interviews with politicians and senior staff, plus analyses of thousands of news stories spanning four decades, this book traces how party discipline evolved into message discipline, where control over speech is as strict as control over votes.
As political parties consolidate power and dissenting voices grow rarer, No I in Team raises urgent questions about the state of democratic representation in Canada – one of the world’s most stable democracies – where elected officials increasingly act as partisans rather than delegates of their communities or trustees of the broader public good.
408 pages, Paperback
Published October 28, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Read
February 25, 2026Interesting book published immediately prior to three Conservative Parliamentarians crossed the floor to stand as Liberals within 3 month period (Nov '25-Feb '26). Over 300 members have crossed the floor since Confederation. Do they favour power or loyalty? "Ethical concerns emerge when a parliamentarian switches parties, especially if a floor crosser is immediately appointed to a ministerial position" (25). "We will make a case that most Canadian parliamentarians are unflappably loyal to their party because of a complex mix of institutional, political, social, and technological forces" (32). How many cross "to avoid policies that conflict with their own values", how many cross "to support the party that offers the best for their constituents? This book considers the benefits and costs of trading party while in office.
But what do Canadians think of those who cross the floor?
"Canadians are virtually evenly split, meanwhile, on how they believe MPs hoping to cross the floor should handle it, according to Nanos Research data from earlier this month.
According to the numbers, a third of Canadians — 33 per cent — believe MPs planning to cross the floor should resign their seat and trigger a by-election, running on the mandate of the party they hope to join.
Roughly the same number of respondents — 32 per cent — believe MPs who want to change parties should be able to do so. And, another third — 31 per cent — say would-be defecting MPs should sit as Independents until the next general election" (February 12, 2026 #CP24 #torontonews #canadiannews)
But what do Canadians think of those who cross the floor?
"Canadians are virtually evenly split, meanwhile, on how they believe MPs hoping to cross the floor should handle it, according to Nanos Research data from earlier this month.
According to the numbers, a third of Canadians — 33 per cent — believe MPs planning to cross the floor should resign their seat and trigger a by-election, running on the mandate of the party they hope to join.
Roughly the same number of respondents — 32 per cent — believe MPs who want to change parties should be able to do so. And, another third — 31 per cent — say would-be defecting MPs should sit as Independents until the next general election" (February 12, 2026 #CP24 #torontonews #canadiannews)
April 27, 2026
Reading this, I knew much of what was written or heard of the stories. The authors present multiple examples of MPs leaving a party to sit as an independent or move to another.
The authors go into details on the impacts of these moves for all involved. Going to the last chapter I was giving this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, it’s the last chapter that pushed this to five stars. The recommendations given are thoughtful and sensible and make crossing the floor to another party more palatable to voters.
The idea (recommendation) that a MP does a two step move makes sense. An MP moves to sit unaffiliated until such time they sit for a new party.
The authors seek to differentiate an elected independent MP from a MP leaving a party to sit as ‘unaffiliated’. This makes sense.
I recommend readers of ‘No I in Team’ to read ‘A New Blueprint for a New Government’ by Kevin Lynch and James Mitchell. Where the authors here talk about people, in this book; Lunch and Mitchell write about the institution of government.
Together these books present a future of government in Canada.
The authors go into details on the impacts of these moves for all involved. Going to the last chapter I was giving this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, it’s the last chapter that pushed this to five stars. The recommendations given are thoughtful and sensible and make crossing the floor to another party more palatable to voters.
The idea (recommendation) that a MP does a two step move makes sense. An MP moves to sit unaffiliated until such time they sit for a new party.
The authors seek to differentiate an elected independent MP from a MP leaving a party to sit as ‘unaffiliated’. This makes sense.
I recommend readers of ‘No I in Team’ to read ‘A New Blueprint for a New Government’ by Kevin Lynch and James Mitchell. Where the authors here talk about people, in this book; Lunch and Mitchell write about the institution of government.
Together these books present a future of government in Canada.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews