Effect of social networks on Blacks vote for the Liberal Party of Canada
P11-S281-3
Presented by: Nadjim Fréchet
Despite a growing shift toward conservatism on various issues, African Americans remain among the most loyal supporters of the left-leaning Democratic Party in the United States. Studies suggest that this enduring loyalty is driven by social pressure within their communities and the influence of African American elites. Similarly, recent research indicates that social networks play a role in shaping the political behavior of racial minorities in Canada, much like they do for African Americans in the United States. Just as African Americans with the Democratic Party, racial minorities in Canada overwhelmingly support the socially left-leaning Liberal Party of Canada despite being more socially conservative than the White majority. Focusing on Black Canadians, this research explores whether progressive ideological cues influence the likelihood of Black Canadians voting for the Liberal Party and whether the racial composition of their social network mediates this effect using a survey experiment. Results show that social pressure affects the probability of voting for the Liberal Party, like in the United States. However, unlike African Americans with the Democratic Party in the United States, ideology affects Black voters' probability of voting for the Liberal Party in Canada.
Keywords: Black voters, Canada, public opinion, survey experiment