The effect of income inequality and other socioeconomic factors on political participation in Canadian federal elections

Abstract

Voter turnout rates for Canadian federal elections have been in decline for over 50 years, and currently Canada is ranked 18th among OECD countries in this regard. To what extent do certain socioeconomic factors have in encouraging or discouraging voters’ participation in elections in Canada? This study examines previous literature on theories related to the ties between political participation and socioeconomic inequality; including the law of dispersion, relative power theory, conflict theory, and resource theory. Compiling data from external sources and creating a pseudo panel specific to this study, these theories are then tested to examine how income inequality (measured through Gini index, P90/P50 and P50/P10 ratios, and median income), age, marital status, and employment rates has effected voter turnout in Canada between 1979 and 2015. The analysis shows that the effects of both income inequality and the employment rate on turnout exhibit non-linear quadratic characteristics. Further to that, age and marital status are also shown to have positive effects on voter turnout. Employment rates specific to education are also examined but deemed generally inconclusive, however further insight and stronger data could yield better results and be cause for future study.