Political Activists: The NDP in Convention

Eric P. Mintz is an associate professor of political science at Sir
Wilfred Grenfell College, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Using surveys of delegates to the 1987 and 1989 NDP conventions,
Professors Archer and Whitehorn analyze the social, ideological, and
attitudinal characteristics of party activists. Not surprisingly, they
found that NDP activists were ideologically on the “left”: they
supported government provision of social services, favored government
action to reduce inequality, and opposed the privatization of publicly
owned enterprises.

Not only were NDP activists ideologically distinct in comparison with
Liberal and PC activists, but they tended to be more unified than their
counterparts in the more “pragmatic” parties. Nevertheless, there
were significant splits within the NDP, particularly with respect to
region, union as opposed to constituency delegate status, education, and
ideological positioning.

Interestingly, despite the importance of the feminist movement within
the NDP, gender differences were not generally significant except when
it came to “women’s issues.” In examining the selection of Audrey
McLaughlin as the first female leader of a major political party, the
researchers found that although gender, region, and union delegate
status had some effect on the selection, evaluations of the
candidates—particularly their perceived ability to achieve electoral
success—was the most important determining factor. One chapter
concerning the 1995 NDP leadership convention raises questions about the
desirability of changing the selection process.

The strength of this book lies in its detailed empirical analysis of
delegate attitudes. Readers looking for a thorough analysis of the
dynamics of convention decision making, the significance of conventions,
or the impact of recent events on NDP activists will likely be
disappointed.