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Shopping for Votes: How Politicians Choose Us and We Choose Them
This second edition offers an insightful and provocative look at the inside world of political marketing in Canada—and what this means about the state of our democracy in the twenty-first century—from a leading political commentator.
Inside the political backrooms of Ottawa, the Mad Men of Canadian politics are planning their next consumer friendly pitch. Where once politics was seen as a public service, increasingly it’s seen as a business, and citizens are the customers. But its unadvertised products are voter apathy and gutless public policy. Susan Delacourt takes readers into the world of Canada’s top political marketers, from the 1950s to the present, explaining how parties slice and dice their platforms for different audiences and how they manage the media. The current system divides the country into “niche” markets and abandons the hard political work of knitting together broad consensus or national vision. Little wonder then, that most Canadians have checked out of the political less than two per cent of the population belongs to a political party and fewer than half of voters under the age of thirty showed up at the ballot box in the last few federal elections. Provocative, incisive, entertaining and refreshingly non-partisan, Shopping for Votes offers a new narrative for understanding political culture in Canada.
Inside the political backrooms of Ottawa, the Mad Men of Canadian politics are planning their next consumer friendly pitch. Where once politics was seen as a public service, increasingly it’s seen as a business, and citizens are the customers. But its unadvertised products are voter apathy and gutless public policy. Susan Delacourt takes readers into the world of Canada’s top political marketers, from the 1950s to the present, explaining how parties slice and dice their platforms for different audiences and how they manage the media. The current system divides the country into “niche” markets and abandons the hard political work of knitting together broad consensus or national vision. Little wonder then, that most Canadians have checked out of the political less than two per cent of the population belongs to a political party and fewer than half of voters under the age of thirty showed up at the ballot box in the last few federal elections. Provocative, incisive, entertaining and refreshingly non-partisan, Shopping for Votes offers a new narrative for understanding political culture in Canada.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 31, 2013
Bracing look at recent political culture in Canada. Depicts Canadian politics as practised by the Conservatives as little more than like browsing the shelves at the mall. We look for items and services that will enhance our lifestyles and add to our convenience with little or no consideration of the common good.
October 6, 2015
It was convenient timing that had me reading Shopping for Votes: How Politicians Choose Us and We Choose Them during the 2015 federal election. Delacourt lays out in a clear narrative how marketing and advertising has changed politics over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. There is an interesting intersection in this book between changes in Canadian society, culture and politics. The rise of consumerism caused all three to adapt. One would impact upon another and force the other to change further. The introduction of basic marketing principles gave parties a distinct edge in the 1950s and 60s, but then as voters became cynical politics was forced to follow.
One of the things I appreciate about this book is that it has given me a knew lens through which to look at Canadian politics. As I alluded to above, the cultural shift towards a distrust of institutions and politics could be more accurately found in consumerism than politics. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's brutal central control is rooted in his understanding of consumer-citizen politics and what it takes to succeed in a world of brands, slogans and value propositions.
Delacourt makes frequent reference to a certain category of Canadians, the Tim Horton's voter. Tim Horton's successful marketing and massive market share has made it a national symbol. It also typifies a certain class of voter. Middle class/lower-middle class, without airs, not particularly engaged in politics. This cohort is a significant portion of the Canadian electorate. Swinging as much as 10% of the electorate can be the difference between third-party and governing majority. The parties have used market research and databases to slice and dice the electorate. They pinpoint the voters they know are in their camp, target them, find the poachable groups and pull them into winning coalitions.
The consumer-citizen (a concept and phrase that makes my skin crawl) has resulted in some idiotic policy. The example that comes to mind from Shopping for Votes is the snowmobile tax credit. Rural outdoors-people was a target group and so the Conservatives developed a policy directly to appeal to them. Governing is secondary in the focus-grouped, messaged-controlled reality of the era of consumer politics.
In her book Delacourt presents feasible explanations for the 2011 Conservative majority and the Orange Wave in Quebec. In marketing terms a more traditional advertising campaign launched the NDP into first in Quebec, while modern micro-targeting brought the Conservatives to majority. At the conclusion of the book Delacourt suggests that all three parties are now using the same strategies. Perhaps it will merely come down who can most effectively micro-target and mobilize voters.
The sad reality is that voters do process candidates and parties like products in many ways. Brand loyalty and partisanship are not so dissimilar. Commercial products have become more political as well, arguing that they stand for sets of values and not simple products/services for profit. The idealistic, classic liberal view of democracy is not rooted in reality, sadly. How candidates look, sound and any number of other obscure items can shape a voter's intention. I tease my mom because she's leaning towards voting NDP, but doesn't like Tom Mulcair's beard. On the other hand the beard is becoming part of the brand and being taken on by NDP partisans as a fun symbol.
I would strongly recommend this book for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of how Canadian politics (and other modern democracies) work. This book is similar to Sasha Issenberg's The Victory Lab, but far more accessible and better framed in the world of politics than the opaque worlds of academia and advertising. Check it out, and be warned that the it might be hard swallow if you have high-minded values of democracy.
You can follow me on Twitter @SLee_OT or at my blog at http://theorangetory.blogspot.ca/
One of the things I appreciate about this book is that it has given me a knew lens through which to look at Canadian politics. As I alluded to above, the cultural shift towards a distrust of institutions and politics could be more accurately found in consumerism than politics. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's brutal central control is rooted in his understanding of consumer-citizen politics and what it takes to succeed in a world of brands, slogans and value propositions.
Delacourt makes frequent reference to a certain category of Canadians, the Tim Horton's voter. Tim Horton's successful marketing and massive market share has made it a national symbol. It also typifies a certain class of voter. Middle class/lower-middle class, without airs, not particularly engaged in politics. This cohort is a significant portion of the Canadian electorate. Swinging as much as 10% of the electorate can be the difference between third-party and governing majority. The parties have used market research and databases to slice and dice the electorate. They pinpoint the voters they know are in their camp, target them, find the poachable groups and pull them into winning coalitions.
The consumer-citizen (a concept and phrase that makes my skin crawl) has resulted in some idiotic policy. The example that comes to mind from Shopping for Votes is the snowmobile tax credit. Rural outdoors-people was a target group and so the Conservatives developed a policy directly to appeal to them. Governing is secondary in the focus-grouped, messaged-controlled reality of the era of consumer politics.
In her book Delacourt presents feasible explanations for the 2011 Conservative majority and the Orange Wave in Quebec. In marketing terms a more traditional advertising campaign launched the NDP into first in Quebec, while modern micro-targeting brought the Conservatives to majority. At the conclusion of the book Delacourt suggests that all three parties are now using the same strategies. Perhaps it will merely come down who can most effectively micro-target and mobilize voters.
The sad reality is that voters do process candidates and parties like products in many ways. Brand loyalty and partisanship are not so dissimilar. Commercial products have become more political as well, arguing that they stand for sets of values and not simple products/services for profit. The idealistic, classic liberal view of democracy is not rooted in reality, sadly. How candidates look, sound and any number of other obscure items can shape a voter's intention. I tease my mom because she's leaning towards voting NDP, but doesn't like Tom Mulcair's beard. On the other hand the beard is becoming part of the brand and being taken on by NDP partisans as a fun symbol.
I would strongly recommend this book for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of how Canadian politics (and other modern democracies) work. This book is similar to Sasha Issenberg's The Victory Lab, but far more accessible and better framed in the world of politics than the opaque worlds of academia and advertising. Check it out, and be warned that the it might be hard swallow if you have high-minded values of democracy.
You can follow me on Twitter @SLee_OT or at my blog at http://theorangetory.blogspot.ca/
November 10, 2013
This was a great book. 5 stars or more and I'm so glad I caught an early CBC interview with Susan Delacourt earlier in the Fall. I knew that I would love to read anything that provided insight into how our politcal parties are 'sold' and she did that topic justice with a great blend of storytelling and facts. I had so many moments, while reading this book, that I would remember something a politician had said or an advertisement I'd seen, and I'd think "aha!"
She is giving us the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at Canadian politics and adds a fair bit of psychology and marketing strategy at the same time. It reminded me a bit of the old tv show The West Wing because there is so much thought and preparation put into the decisions that are made about what a candidate wears, says and chooses to visit. They know where we live, what we purchase, where our kids go to school and how much debt we carry. With that information they can tailor their message so that they are practically guaranteed to make a connection.
Without a doubt one of the best books I've ever read and one of my top picks for non-fiction. Susan Delacourt writes so well and on a topic that I found fascinating. Can't wait to pass this book on to adults and students.
She is giving us the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at Canadian politics and adds a fair bit of psychology and marketing strategy at the same time. It reminded me a bit of the old tv show The West Wing because there is so much thought and preparation put into the decisions that are made about what a candidate wears, says and chooses to visit. They know where we live, what we purchase, where our kids go to school and how much debt we carry. With that information they can tailor their message so that they are practically guaranteed to make a connection.
Without a doubt one of the best books I've ever read and one of my top picks for non-fiction. Susan Delacourt writes so well and on a topic that I found fascinating. Can't wait to pass this book on to adults and students.
September 8, 2015
An excellent primer on how and why marketing has become a primary driver of both political campaigning and governing. It is presented as a history, and tells the story of how the lessons of consumer marketing were adopted and adapted for Canadian politics, premised around the thesis that voters are no longer viewed as citizens but rather as consumers - both by the political class and by voters themselves.
This book helps make sense of what the various parties are doing. Most sobering is their conclusion that appealing to a broad spectrum of voters was less effective than identifying and targeting persuadable swing voters and marketing themselves to their specific interests, resulting in micro-targeting with niche policies and frankly pandering to existing prejudices. A fascinating tidbit - political advertising is not governed by the same standards as commercial advertising - a company can't run down the reputation of a competitor in their advertising, but when the rules were made lawmakers ensured that those same rules don't apply to political advertising, thus enabling attack ads.
For me, one of the most sobering consequences of the obsession with marketing combined with the use of "big data" that provides unprecedented ability to discover and target communications right to the level of individuals, is the conclusion that the route to acquiring and holding power is no longer by appealing to the broadest electorate, but by building and turning out YOUR base, and ideally discouraging anybody else from voting at all. This applies not just to campaigning, but to governing - govern for the benefit of those who get you into power, and disregard the rest. Cynical, but worryingly effective.
This book helps make sense of what the various parties are doing. Most sobering is their conclusion that appealing to a broad spectrum of voters was less effective than identifying and targeting persuadable swing voters and marketing themselves to their specific interests, resulting in micro-targeting with niche policies and frankly pandering to existing prejudices. A fascinating tidbit - political advertising is not governed by the same standards as commercial advertising - a company can't run down the reputation of a competitor in their advertising, but when the rules were made lawmakers ensured that those same rules don't apply to political advertising, thus enabling attack ads.
For me, one of the most sobering consequences of the obsession with marketing combined with the use of "big data" that provides unprecedented ability to discover and target communications right to the level of individuals, is the conclusion that the route to acquiring and holding power is no longer by appealing to the broadest electorate, but by building and turning out YOUR base, and ideally discouraging anybody else from voting at all. This applies not just to campaigning, but to governing - govern for the benefit of those who get you into power, and disregard the rest. Cynical, but worryingly effective.
February 27, 2016
This is an essential read for voters and politicos during and between election cycles. The book highlights how consumerism and politics are fused together through marketing techniques. Delacourt gives a history of how private sector marketers sold their services to political campaigns, and how politicians now collect data to advertise policies to swing-voters and apathetic populations with hired private sector expertise. Attention is also given to how all parties now view Canadians as consumers rather than tax-payers, and how politicians pander to pocket-book concerns of voters rather than long-term policy needs. The text flows with some mild slowdown when introducing a number of political marketing pioneers. All in all, this book will encourage voters to look behind the curtain to see the new mechanics of campaigns and governance.
November 15, 2016
Shopping for Votes is a great book. Susan Delacourt does a serious job of reaching into the past and explaining how the modernization of politics and campaigning came to be today and why it seems to be a different world than what it once was. She helps explain how each party reached over to the American political scene but also how the private sector and business helped learn and reach over to politics and how the two sides have been ever increasingly intertwining themselves. An excellent read for anyone who is a nerd of Canadian Politics but an important read for anyone who seems a bit overwhelmed by what politics has become today in a modern 21st Century world.
January 2, 2014
Good overview of how politics has become more sophisticated in marketing approaches, and shift from citizens to consumers and related policy implications. Also striking contrast between evidence-based social science approaches to electoral strategies and rejective of such approaches in policy development.
January 1, 2015
A fascinating look at the development of marketing techniques not merely for winning voters but as a central part of policy making. It extends well beyond the Canadian political scene with well-made comparisons with the US and the UK. The book sheds light on the disconnect between politicians and voters, and deserves to be read by both.
August 16, 2015
I wanted to get this book as a read for the 2015 federal election to be more informed. Plus working in communications made this book incredibly interesting. It's enraging, thought provoking, and eye opening. I whole heartedly wish that people coast to coast to coast were more engaged, at least on one issue, when it comes to federal politics. A must read.
May 22, 2023
An interesting, if at times convoluted, take on the rampant consumerism in Canadian politics.
February 7, 2014
A must-read for anyone interested in understanding the current state of civic and political culture in Canada. Delacourt writes an approachable, engaging, and highly informative book.
May 10, 2015
Well-written. Great mix of historical anecdotes and contemporary examples. I learned a lot from this book.
November 24, 2015
Fascinating... also read this one going into the 2015 election. Great backgrounder as to how we'd gotten to this.
May 30, 2016
An interesting diagnosis of an oft-ignored part of our national character: Canadians as consumer-voters.
March 27, 2020
Susan Delacourt's work is undoubtedly informative, her history of political marketing covering the period from the second world war onward is thorough to say the least, but as someone who isn't exactly interested in marketing history, I felt her attention to detail ended up working against her. Names of marketing executives are mentioned in one page, then forgotten two pages later, names of politicians, both American and Canadian, their political staff along with their achievements, names of their marketing techniques and media companies crowd the pages, making the first half of the book a slog to get through. This was way too much information that a layperson like myself is just not interested in. I felt like the historical portion of this work really needed to take a step back and give a broader perspective on the evolution of marketing in politics.
Though whatever my complaints were in the first half of this book, they pretty much fade away by the second, where Delacourt begins to focus in on the modern era of political marketing and the emergence of large scale data collection and analysis of voter habits. Instead of throwing names at us only for them to become irrelevant paragraphs later, she focuses in on a central figure who developed big data marketing techniques, Stephen Harper. This portion of the work was incredibly interesting in highlighting the advertising choices the conservative government choose in trying to capture the floating 10 percent of disengaged voters. As his term of office lengthened she makes it clear how much money, and how much more of it, was being spent in advertising and data collection and how, inevitably, our other political parties needed to copy them to match pace. The crazy thing is, as a Canadian alive during Harper's time as PM I can still clearly remember his attack ads, showcasing how effective they were at maintaining the conservative perception of power. I'd recommend this work to other readers based on the really interesting discussion of political history Delacourt presents in the second half, the first half though is something that most laypeople will probably skim through.
Though whatever my complaints were in the first half of this book, they pretty much fade away by the second, where Delacourt begins to focus in on the modern era of political marketing and the emergence of large scale data collection and analysis of voter habits. Instead of throwing names at us only for them to become irrelevant paragraphs later, she focuses in on a central figure who developed big data marketing techniques, Stephen Harper. This portion of the work was incredibly interesting in highlighting the advertising choices the conservative government choose in trying to capture the floating 10 percent of disengaged voters. As his term of office lengthened she makes it clear how much money, and how much more of it, was being spent in advertising and data collection and how, inevitably, our other political parties needed to copy them to match pace. The crazy thing is, as a Canadian alive during Harper's time as PM I can still clearly remember his attack ads, showcasing how effective they were at maintaining the conservative perception of power. I'd recommend this work to other readers based on the really interesting discussion of political history Delacourt presents in the second half, the first half though is something that most laypeople will probably skim through.
May 24, 2022
This was recommended by Bob Rae in his book, What's Happened to Politics and it certainly is a detailed account of the move into marketing that Canadian Politicians have made in the past 7 decades. Having said that, I found myself often frustrated with the flip flop from the 90s to the 2010 decade and back again, all over the historic map and what seemed often to be repetitiveness. Most interesting was the analysis of the 77 day campaign for the 2015 election when Canada voted overwhelmingly for change and responded to the sunny ways openness of Justin Trudeau. The treatment of the voters as people with intelligence and wishes rather than the Harper taxpayer label. Politicians have certainly bought into marketing, media, positive and negative advertising however the unbelievable level of money spent on media and advertising leaves nothing but a very sour taste in my mouth when I think of greater causes that could benefit from those dollars than the ego and 365 day a year campaigning for politicians to keep their jobs. Just do the damn job you were elected to do and treat all peoples with respect and integrity.
April 20, 2019
An interesting read that touches upon the birth, rise, and dominance of marketing in Canadian politics. While American literature on political campaigns is much richer (see the “Victory Lab”) Delacourt’s analysis is a refreshing addition to Canadian political thought. By mapping out key themes, major events, and critical analysis of campaigns past, Delacourt presents the reader with an insider view of Canadian campaigns.
While I would have liked her to make a prediction on the direction of future campaigns, I believe this is a must read for anyone interested in Canadian Politics at both the federal and provincial level.
While I would have liked her to make a prediction on the direction of future campaigns, I believe this is a must read for anyone interested in Canadian Politics at both the federal and provincial level.
January 17, 2020
Basically about how politicians use data about us and marketing techniques to appeal to our emotions instead of our minds. Probably a good idea as it would not be to their advantage if we ever do start thinking about the quality of leadership and value they provide. Thirty-second attack ads designed to scare you into not voting for the other guy instead of a three minute piece about the specifics of what they will do in office has been the approach for a long time and, by and large, the media and voters seem willing to accept that. It would be wonderful if books like this could awaken a demand for politics to be done differently but I am not going to hold my breath.
June 6, 2022
Shopping for Votes explores the relationship between advertising and the Canadian federal voter over the last 50 plus years. At the same time that consumerism has grown within society, it has impacted governance and politics, altering the relationship between voter, political party and candidate. Candidates view voters as consumers of their message and micro target accordingly while the voter comes to view candidates as another product choice. This consumerism has led to Canadians increasingly viewing themselves as taxpayers while weakening the concept of citizenship.
An interesting and approachable book.
An interesting and approachable book.
February 8, 2017
Written by Susan Delacourt, Canadian journalist and winner of the 2011 Charles Lynch award, Shopping for Votes is likely a book I am going to have to return to the library and buy my own copy. Any book whose Introduction links our politics to our stereotyped obsession with Tim's (sorry Starbucks) is one I want on my shelves! She writes of the corporatization and branding of politics so that politic speeches no longer aim to educate or inform; dare not "talk of sacrifice, collective good, fact, problems or debate".
The subtitle of Shopping for Votes is How Politicians Choose Us and We Choose Them, which doesn't really describe the current system of political electioneering in Canada. Shopping for Votes delves into the 'science' of marketing behind Canada's federal political parties, the evolution of their advertising strategies and the high-tech data collection that is used to create targeted ads and position politicians' sounds bites.
Delacourt's research is excellent. She traces the history of today's voter market analysis back to the 1950s, describing the ebb and flow of Canadian citizens relationship with government and to the marketplace. She examines the influence of successful marketing campaigns to create neo-liberal shifts in the US and UK (Reagan/Thatcher) and their eventual usage in Canada. She does this in a way that is easy to read, definitely more Tim Horton's and tomato soup aisle than anything ivory tower.
Personally, I earned my BA in political science in the early 1990s when computers were word processers, Canadians were citizens and elections were meant to choose who governed - not just who won. Delacourt's book has me in a silent rage as I realize that, after I left university and worked and raised a family, there were a number of insidious, cunning individuals who only cared about winning, not governing and who would use their money and data mining to manipulate voters. I am speaking primarily of the Harper conservatives, but over time, the tactics of the new conservative party spread to all major parties.
Harper's infamous statement that when he was done, no one would recognize Canada, includes the CPC efforts to turn Canadians from Canadian citizens to mindless consumers, focusing only on the number of dollars in their pocket. Political party efforts to control the message to consumers; er, I mean, citizens has almost eliminated the connection of Canadians to government. The CPC intentionally targeted the 10% of people that didn't vote and dumbed their message down to one drumbeat that ignored all the details of what government does and needs to do. (Note: I was a Progressive Conservative until Harper's unite-the-right campaign changed my party. I have been a party orphan since.)
There are several instances of message manipulation, such as the Conservatives naming of bills to play well as headlines, for e.g., when a controversial bill on internet privacy was labeled the "Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act." The book quotes two prominent Canadian lawyers, Edward Greenspan and Anthony Doob, who charged "Criminal justice policy is a product being shaped by the 'need' to attract votes. Conservative criminal justice policy is developed not to serve public or societal needs but to help market the Conservatives to specific constituencies." (p. 241.)
As Delacourt tracks the cultural change from political advertising to marketing to modern data mining and voter/constituent modeling, she spends time discussing the existence of party databases. These databases are held by all parties; although liberalist.ca is accessible on-line, individual's information is not accessible due to privacy concern). This is a frightening thing because, over the last couple of decades the political parties have gotten very good at collecting data on all of us - no longer using simple who subscribes to a hunting magazine vs a travel magazine, today's parties track every survey signature, every contact with a constituency or party office; Delacourt relates that some parties even encourage canvassers to report on the makes/models of vehicles in your driveway and decals in your car's window. Since this information is held by a political party, not the government, Freedom of Information does not apply and the information they hold on you is held from you.
The biggest issue I see with the focus on winning elections is that it is too easy for politicians to forget about governing. Many voters complain that we never seem to be out of the election campaign and Shopping for Votes certainly gives a number of indications why (including the fact that we have shifted from having a high number of lawyers elected as MPs to having a high number of business people elected to Parliament).
This system, and I have to point to the US election of Trump, minimizes the focus on policy and good government, minimizes thorough discussion of issues and long-term pros/cons of current government decisions, and weakens voter's efforts of critical thinking about government and politics. Ultimately, by focusing efforts on whose vote they can get, political parties forget they are supposed to govern for all Canadians once elected and focus too much of their legislation on rewarding those who gave them power.
Delacourt's book explains the current system (it is a couple of years out-of-date) and doesn't provide ideas for changing the manipulation inherent in today's system. Those solutions have to come from people who want to define themselves as Canadians, as citizens, not just taxpayers.
The subtitle of Shopping for Votes is How Politicians Choose Us and We Choose Them, which doesn't really describe the current system of political electioneering in Canada. Shopping for Votes delves into the 'science' of marketing behind Canada's federal political parties, the evolution of their advertising strategies and the high-tech data collection that is used to create targeted ads and position politicians' sounds bites.
Delacourt's research is excellent. She traces the history of today's voter market analysis back to the 1950s, describing the ebb and flow of Canadian citizens relationship with government and to the marketplace. She examines the influence of successful marketing campaigns to create neo-liberal shifts in the US and UK (Reagan/Thatcher) and their eventual usage in Canada. She does this in a way that is easy to read, definitely more Tim Horton's and tomato soup aisle than anything ivory tower.
Personally, I earned my BA in political science in the early 1990s when computers were word processers, Canadians were citizens and elections were meant to choose who governed - not just who won. Delacourt's book has me in a silent rage as I realize that, after I left university and worked and raised a family, there were a number of insidious, cunning individuals who only cared about winning, not governing and who would use their money and data mining to manipulate voters. I am speaking primarily of the Harper conservatives, but over time, the tactics of the new conservative party spread to all major parties.
Harper's infamous statement that when he was done, no one would recognize Canada, includes the CPC efforts to turn Canadians from Canadian citizens to mindless consumers, focusing only on the number of dollars in their pocket. Political party efforts to control the message to consumers; er, I mean, citizens has almost eliminated the connection of Canadians to government. The CPC intentionally targeted the 10% of people that didn't vote and dumbed their message down to one drumbeat that ignored all the details of what government does and needs to do. (Note: I was a Progressive Conservative until Harper's unite-the-right campaign changed my party. I have been a party orphan since.)
There are several instances of message manipulation, such as the Conservatives naming of bills to play well as headlines, for e.g., when a controversial bill on internet privacy was labeled the "Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act." The book quotes two prominent Canadian lawyers, Edward Greenspan and Anthony Doob, who charged "Criminal justice policy is a product being shaped by the 'need' to attract votes. Conservative criminal justice policy is developed not to serve public or societal needs but to help market the Conservatives to specific constituencies." (p. 241.)
As Delacourt tracks the cultural change from political advertising to marketing to modern data mining and voter/constituent modeling, she spends time discussing the existence of party databases. These databases are held by all parties; although liberalist.ca is accessible on-line, individual's information is not accessible due to privacy concern). This is a frightening thing because, over the last couple of decades the political parties have gotten very good at collecting data on all of us - no longer using simple who subscribes to a hunting magazine vs a travel magazine, today's parties track every survey signature, every contact with a constituency or party office; Delacourt relates that some parties even encourage canvassers to report on the makes/models of vehicles in your driveway and decals in your car's window. Since this information is held by a political party, not the government, Freedom of Information does not apply and the information they hold on you is held from you.
The biggest issue I see with the focus on winning elections is that it is too easy for politicians to forget about governing. Many voters complain that we never seem to be out of the election campaign and Shopping for Votes certainly gives a number of indications why (including the fact that we have shifted from having a high number of lawyers elected as MPs to having a high number of business people elected to Parliament).
This system, and I have to point to the US election of Trump, minimizes the focus on policy and good government, minimizes thorough discussion of issues and long-term pros/cons of current government decisions, and weakens voter's efforts of critical thinking about government and politics. Ultimately, by focusing efforts on whose vote they can get, political parties forget they are supposed to govern for all Canadians once elected and focus too much of their legislation on rewarding those who gave them power.
Delacourt's book explains the current system (it is a couple of years out-of-date) and doesn't provide ideas for changing the manipulation inherent in today's system. Those solutions have to come from people who want to define themselves as Canadians, as citizens, not just taxpayers.
August 23, 2020
Insightful, eye opening and a great read
Although I have followed Canadian politics for years, there was a lot in this terrific book that I had never known before. I have also followed technology for many years, but it took this book to open my eyes to its prevalence in Canadian politics. It was not only a learning experience for me. I appreciate it the author's insights. And she is an excellent writer, offering clear prose and a narrative line that leads you on a fascinating journey.
Although I have followed Canadian politics for years, there was a lot in this terrific book that I had never known before. I have also followed technology for many years, but it took this book to open my eyes to its prevalence in Canadian politics. It was not only a learning experience for me. I appreciate it the author's insights. And she is an excellent writer, offering clear prose and a narrative line that leads you on a fascinating journey.
July 8, 2018
Delacourt is an excellent writer and uses her experience covering politics to write a compelling thesis linking consumerism to modern politics.
February 16, 2016
'Shopping for Votes' was a reasonable interestingly read that outlined how the machine behind Canadian political parties has changed over time. Ms. Delacourt focuses on the rise of micro targeting my politicians and how political parties have shifted from presenting their policies, to selling their policies, to doing market research to decide what their policies should be. The author laments the good old days of Liberal supremacy and it's hard not to agree, though there is something to be said for having politicians actually do what their constituents want them to do.
Call me jaded (or Jaden if you prefer) but I considered most everything mentioned in the book 'old news' and so wasn't excited enough by it to give this book better than 2/5.
The book outlines how consumer companies have been at the marketing vanguard, closely followed by politicians. I would have found it a more interesting book if Ms Delacourt had looked at current consumer trends and decided how that could make the move to politics - eg uber/airbnb/spotify .. where consumers going straight to the web, relying on word of mouth/networking/crowdsourcing impact, more direct/less regulated
Call me jaded (or Jaden if you prefer) but I considered most everything mentioned in the book 'old news' and so wasn't excited enough by it to give this book better than 2/5.
The book outlines how consumer companies have been at the marketing vanguard, closely followed by politicians. I would have found it a more interesting book if Ms Delacourt had looked at current consumer trends and decided how that could make the move to politics - eg uber/airbnb/spotify .. where consumers going straight to the web, relying on word of mouth/networking/crowdsourcing impact, more direct/less regulated
December 21, 2014
I was impressed with author Susan Delacourt when she spoke to a group of communications professionals in Ottawa earlier this year.
So I quickly picked up her book. I wasn't disappointed.
The Parliament Hill reporter tracks the shift in modern Canadian politics wherein voters have gone from being citizens to consumers. In other words, we've gone from voting for an ideology or a vision for the future, to voting for what gives us immediate satisfaction and reward. Of course this has all happened at a time when advertising has become the central campaign tactic to reach the all-important ten-percent of undecided voters. Is it any wonder that voter turn-out has reached an all-time low?
I like Delacourts clear and concise writing, and I like how she uses key campaigns and leaders (Pearson, Trudeau, Clark, Mulroney, Harper to name some of them) to make her points.
You don't have to be an avid student of politics to enjoy Shopping for Votes. It is a good read for every Canadian who is wondering about the state of government and political affairs in our nation.
So I quickly picked up her book. I wasn't disappointed.
The Parliament Hill reporter tracks the shift in modern Canadian politics wherein voters have gone from being citizens to consumers. In other words, we've gone from voting for an ideology or a vision for the future, to voting for what gives us immediate satisfaction and reward. Of course this has all happened at a time when advertising has become the central campaign tactic to reach the all-important ten-percent of undecided voters. Is it any wonder that voter turn-out has reached an all-time low?
I like Delacourts clear and concise writing, and I like how she uses key campaigns and leaders (Pearson, Trudeau, Clark, Mulroney, Harper to name some of them) to make her points.
You don't have to be an avid student of politics to enjoy Shopping for Votes. It is a good read for every Canadian who is wondering about the state of government and political affairs in our nation.
October 16, 2014
A great read on a timely topic. I would have loved to read more about the current state of affairs in Canadian politics, but the history and the context of marketing and votes was fascinating.
Frankly, it was also kind of depressing. I don't like to think that the electorate is so simple and easy to sway that niche marketing techniques work. Yet, they clearly do. I'd like to think that we are all citizens of our county, and not consumers, or taxpayers.
It's possible that this book could have been more hard-hitting. I felt that Delacourt was trying to provide an overview of the political marketing sphere, instead of a more editorial-styled look at why this is a serious problem for democracy. She mentions that a bit in her conclusion, but I would have loved to have read a book decrying these practices, not just explaining them.
Frankly, it was also kind of depressing. I don't like to think that the electorate is so simple and easy to sway that niche marketing techniques work. Yet, they clearly do. I'd like to think that we are all citizens of our county, and not consumers, or taxpayers.
It's possible that this book could have been more hard-hitting. I felt that Delacourt was trying to provide an overview of the political marketing sphere, instead of a more editorial-styled look at why this is a serious problem for democracy. She mentions that a bit in her conclusion, but I would have loved to have read a book decrying these practices, not just explaining them.
February 28, 2014
Susan Delacourt, a Toronto Star journalist, analyzes how consumerism has affected politics in the past century, leading to the rise of the consumer-citizen. As people are looking at politicians as products and brands, politicians also are thinking of themselves and their campaigns this way. It even affects policy and how politicians make decisions. This book is a great overview of Canadian politics, the rise of pollsters, and tells part of the story of how politics have evolved in Canada over the past century. Plus, it's written in an accessible and inviting tone.
September 16, 2014
A history detailing how and why Canada has arrived at a political culture of never-ending campaigning, policy announcements made in doughnut shops, personal attack ads and public policies designed to arouse the interest of the people who care the least about politics. She tries to be hopeful at the end but it didn't convince me. To me, it just seems like people who want power have a new set of tools with which to be vicious and sordid.
December 30, 2014
Sometimes repetitive, and needing a proofreader, but quite worthwhile. I follow Canadian politics reasonably closely, but learned things from this book (and not just that Stephen Harper enjoys neither coffee nor beer). Any putative voter in next year's federal election would be well-served by reading this book in the interim.
February 16, 2014
Follows the history of how product marketing came to be used in political commnication. A very important book if you wish to be a political communicator with a sense of responsibility to the voter as citizen, not as consumer of political product. Conversational prose makes it an enjoyable read. No, it's not partisan. Well done Susan and thank you.
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