Campaign organizers and the media appear to agree that voters' perceptions of party leaders have an important impact in elections: considerable effort is made to ensure that leaders look good, speak well, and that they are up in the polls. In contrast, the academic literature is much more divided. Some suggest that leaders play an important role in the vote calculus, while others argue that in comparison to other factors, perceptions of leaders have only a minimal impact. This study incorporates data from thirty-five election studies across seven countries with varying institutional environments, and takes both a broad and in-depth look at the role of leaders. A few noteworthy conclusions emerge. First, voters evaluate leaders' traits in terms of two main dimensions, character and competence. Second, voters perceive leaders within the framework of a partisan stereotype in which the party label of the leader imbues meaning; more specifically, leaders of Conservative parties are seen to be more competent while Left leaders are seen to have more character. Third, and most importantly, leaders matter: they affect voters' decisions and have a discernible effect on the distribution of votes in an election. Fourth, there are consistent differences in the perception of party leaders according to voters' level of political sophistication. While all voters evaluate party leaders and consider leaders in their vote calculus, the more sophisticated do so the most. This book argues that personality plays an important role in elections, and that in a healthy democracy, so it should. Comparative Politics is a series for students, teachers, and researchers of political science that deals with contemporary government and politics. Global in scope, books in the series are characterised by a stress on comparative analysis and strong methodological rigour. The series is published in association with the European Consortium for Political Research. For more information visit: www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr The Comparative Politics Series is edited by Professor David M. Farrell, School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin, Kenneth Carty, Professor of Political Science, University of British Columbia, and Professor Dirk Berg-Schlosser, Institute of Political Science, Philipps University, Marburg.

The first major comparative analysis of parenthood in politics, Mothers and Others brings together leading scholars of gender and politics to discuss the role of parental status in political life. Examining three main areas of citizen engagement within the political system - parenthood and political careers, parenthood and the media, and parenthood and political behaviour - they argue that being a parent is a gendered identity that influences how, why, and to what extent women (and men) engage with politics. This raises important questions about how career politicians, voters, and the media navigate the intersection of gender, parental status, and politics.

On 2 May 2011, Canadians watched as the Stephen Harper Conservatives
won their first majority government, ending a string of minority
governments. Jack Layton led the NDP to its best performance ever,
becoming the Official Opposition for the first time in the
party's history, and Michael Ignatieff and the federal Liberals
had their worst showing to date. Even to the casual observer, it was
clear that this election marked a major shift in Canadian politics. In
reality, the country's political landscape and national party
system had been changing for quite some time.

"Parties, Elections, and the Future of Canadian Politics"
provides the first comprehensive account of political change in Canada
over the past two decades, particularly during the 1993, 2004, and 2011
federal elections. Contributors explore the changing landscape from
both historical and contemporary perspectives and speculate on the
future of the national party system. They discuss how parties have
evolved in response to new challenges, how elections are fought on
different terms than those of the past, and how these developments and
challenges have changed the way voters view political parties and
elections. By doing so, they make a crucial contribution to our
understanding of Canadian politics in the wake of a one of the most
tumultuous periods in the country's history.Amanda Bittner is an associate professor in the
Department of Political Science at Memorial University.
Royce Koop is an assistant professor in the
Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba
Contributors: Blake Andrew, Kelly Blidook, Matthew
Byrne, R. Kenneth Carty, William Cross, Munro Eagles, Patrick Fournier,
Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant, Allison Harell, Harold Jansen, Richard
Johnston, L.A. (Lisa) Lambert, J. Scott Matthews, Anthony M. Sayers,
Stuart Soroka, Russell Alan Williams, Lisa Young.

On 2 May 2011, Canadians watched as the Stephen Harper Conservatives
won their first majority government, ending a string of minority
governments. Jack Layton led the NDP to its best performance ever,
becoming the Official Opposition for the first time in the
party's history, and Michael Ignatieff and the federal Liberals
had their worst showing to date. Even to the casual observer, it was
clear that this election marked a major shift in Canadian politics. In
reality, the country's political landscape and national party
system had been changing for quite some time.

"Parties, Elections, and the Future of Canadian Politics"
provides the first comprehensive account of political change in Canada
over the past two decades, particularly during the 1993, 2004, and 2011
federal elections. Contributors explore the changing landscape from
both historical and contemporary perspectives and speculate on the
future of the national party system. They discuss how parties have
evolved in response to new challenges, how elections are fought on
different terms than those of the past, and how these developments and
challenges have changed the way voters view political parties and
elections. By doing so, they make a crucial contribution to our
understanding of Canadian politics in the wake of a one of the most
tumultuous periods in the country's history.Amanda Bittner is an associate professor in the
Department of Political Science at Memorial University.
Royce Koop is an assistant professor in the
Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba
Contributors: Blake Andrew, Kelly Blidook, Matthew
Byrne, R. Kenneth Carty, William Cross, Munro Eagles, Patrick Fournier,
Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant, Allison Harell, Harold Jansen, Richard
Johnston, L.A. (Lisa) Lambert, J. Scott Matthews, Anthony M. Sayers,
Stuart Soroka, Russell Alan Williams, Lisa Young.