Lesson Plan: Analyzing Canadian Elections Since 1945

Lesson Plan

Introduction

This activity is best suited for senior-level students of history and/or social studies who already have some background in Canadian history and politics.

There have been 18 federal elections between 1945 and 2004. All have had an impact on Canadian history and politics, but a few can truly be viewed as "defining moments" in our country's political life. This is because the leaders, parties, issues, and results exerted a major influence on the future direction Canada would take in its economic, social, and political affairs. The key elections since 1945 have been:

1957-1958 (beginning of Diefenbaker era)

1962-1963 (Diefenbaker's defeat and return of Liberal minority under Pearson

1968 (beginning of Trudeau era)

1972-1974 (Liberal minority government with NDP)

1979-1980 (return of Pierre Trudeau to power after Joe Clark)

1984 (beginning of Mulroney era)

1988 (free trade election)

1993 (return of Liberals under Chrétien, rise of regional parties)

The Task

Students will form groups and select one federal election to analyze, either one of the significant ones mentioned or another of students' choice. Students might wish to group elections that occurred in succession (such as 1957-58, 1962-63-65, and 1972-74). In some of these cases, the result was a minority government.

Each group will prepare a detailed analysis of the election, including the following information:

Political parties and leaders involved in the election

Main policies of parties

Strengths and weaknesses of parties and leaders during the campaign

Main events and developments of the campaign

Key issues of the campaign, parties' positions on them, and how they influenced the results

Turning-point(s) of the election

Influence of media coverage of the campaign

Results and explanation of results

Importance of this election for future course of Canadian politics and history

The Process

Students will work in groups to gather information from the CBC Digital Archives website topic Campaigning for Canada and any other resources they find useful. They will prepare and present their analysis in the form of a round-table discussion of the election campaign and its importance. They can illustrate their presentation with their choice of visuals, including audio-visual materials, charts, and graphs. Groups deliver their presentations as part of a classroom round-table discussion.

Conclusion

Once each group has finished its presentation, conduct a discussion with the class about the importance of federal elections in Canadian political history. Ask students which of the elections they would view as the most significant in terms of its impact on the nation's political life, and why. Note their responses on the board.

Resources

Print
Bickerton, James, et. al. Ties that Bind: Parties and Voters in Canada. Toronto: Oxford UP, 1999.
Blais, Andre, et. al. Anatomy of a Liberal Victory: Making Sense of the Vote in the 2000 Canadian Election. Peterborough ON: Broadview Press, 2002.
Brook, Tom. Getting Elected in Canada. Stratford ON: Mercury Press, 1991.
Cocking, Clive. Following the Leaders: A Media Watcher's Diary of Campaign '79. Toronto: Doubleday, 1980.
Elkins, David J. Manipulation and Consent: How Voters and Leaders Manage Complexity. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1993.
Duffy, John. Fights of Our Lives: Elections, Leadership and the Making of Canada. Toronto: HarperCollins Publishers, 2002.
Milner, Henry, ed. Making Every Vote Count: Reassessing Canada's Electoral System. Peterborough ON: Broadview Press, 1999.
Wearing, Joseph, ed. The Ballot and Its Message: Voting in Canada. Toronto: Copp Clark Pitman, 1991.