Parliamentary Democracy in Canada
In: Parliamentary affairs: a journal of comparative politics, Volume 57, Issue 3, p. 613-629
ISSN: 1460-2482
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In: Parliamentary affairs: a journal of comparative politics, Volume 57, Issue 3, p. 613-629
ISSN: 1460-2482
In: Canadian journal of political science: CJPS = Revue canadienne de science politique : RCSP, Volume 25, Issue 2, p. 295-319
ISSN: 0008-4239
IT HAS BEEN ARGUED THAT RAPID MEMBERSHIP TURNOVER IN THE CANADIAN HOUSE OF COMMONS ROBS THE INSTITUTION OF A DEDICATED AND EXPERIENCED GROUP OF MPS AND PRODUCES A PARLIAMENT STOCKED WITH POLITICAL AMATEURS. BOTH ELECTORAL DEFEAT AND VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT HAVE BEEN SEEN TO PLAY A ROLE IN THE AMATEURISM PHENOMENON. THE AUTHORS EXPLORE THE ROOTS OF AMATEURISM AND CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE ARGUMENT THAT A FRUSTRATING CAREER STRUCTURE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ENCOURAGES VOLUNTARY VACANCIES. USING A RANDOM SAMPLE OF FORMER MPS, THE AUTHORS FIND SUPPORT FOR BOTH A "FRUSTRATION" AND AN "EXHAUSTION" MODEL OF CAREER CHOICE. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES THAT WHILE AMATEURISM MAY BE PROBLEMATIC, NOT ALL MPS ARE AMATEURS AND THE PROBLEM OF AMATEURISM CANNOT BE ADDRESSED SIMPLY BY SATISFYING FRUSTRATED AMBITION.