No I in Team: Dr. Alex Marland talks about why party loyalty is so powerful and what it means for Canadian democracy
Political parties are central to how parliamentary democracy works. They help to clarify political choices, coordinate elected representatives, and give governments the ability to act. Yet in Canada, party loyalty has become increasingly strict, raising questions about how much independence elected representatives have to truly speak and act on behalf of their constituents.
In this event, political scientist Dr. Alex Marland, Professor of Politics and Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at Acadia University, will discuss his new co-authored book, No I in Team. Drawing on original interviews with party leaders and politicians who have crossed the floor alongside the Samara Centre’s MP exit interviews, Marland explores why party loyalty in Canadian legislatures is so powerful and how it shapes representation and accountability. The discussion will turn to a central question for Canadian democracy: when elected representatives are expected to put their party first, who are they ultimately accountable to: their party, their constituents or the public?
This event includes a 45-minute discussion with a networking reception to follow.
Speakers:
Dr. Alex Marland, Professor of Politics and Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at Acadia University
Dr. Beatrice Wayne (Moderator), Director of Research and Policy at the Samara Centre for Democracy
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Alex Marland is a professor of politics and the Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at Acadia University. He has authored or edited over a dozen books about Canadian politics, including Brand Command: Canadian Politics and Democracy in the Age of Message Control (2016) and Whipped: Party Discipline in Canada (2020). His latest, No I in Team: Party Loyalty in Canadian Politics (2025), co-authored with Jared Wesley and Mireille Lalancette, examines the interconnected forces that condition parliamentarians to support their party and the leader, and what happens when they leave to sit as an Independent or cross the floor.