Education

B.A. in History, London School of Economics M.A. in Politics, New York University PhD in Political Science, McGill University

Research

Elisabeth Gidengil is the Hiram Mills Professor at McGill University in the Department of Political Science. Her research focus is political engagement, voting behaviour, and public opinion. Primarily using surveys and media content analysis, Professor Gidengil's work examines issues of diversity, gender, immigration, and citizenship. She is also currently carrying out research on the impact of public policy on citizen engagement.

Research Interests

Content and media analysis

Experimental research

Gender and politics

Immigrant and Minority Voting Patterns

Immigrant political and social incorporation

Media Analysis

Neurophysiology and politics

Non-electoral forms of Political Participation

Political Communication

Political Knowledge

Public opinion and political preferences

Survey research

Voter Turnout and Other Forms of Electoral Participation

Youth and politics

Research Axis

Axis 1: Learning Democratic Citizenship in an Unequal World - Cet axe se concentre sur l’acquisition de valeurs, d’attitudes et de comportements qui contribuent à une citoyenneté démocratique dynamique. La démocratie repose fondamentalement sur le principe de l’égalité politique, mais dans la pratique, le désavantage économique et social se traduit par un accès inégal au pouvoir politique et à la prise de décision (Schlozman et al 2012). L’inégalité a de profondes implications pour l’inclusion, la réactivité et, en fin de compte, la légitimité même de notre système démocratique. L’inégalité croissante détruit les fondements de la démocratie, entraînant une polarisation politique accrue et une désaffection de la politique (Kwon 2015). Plus que jamais, les démocraties efficaces exigent des citoyens engagés, responsables et bien informés. Comprendre les facteurs qui influent sur le développement de ce type de citoyenneté démocratique active est un objectif clé de l’axe 1.

Axis 2: Practicing Citizenship in a Skeptical World - The practice of democratic citizenship is undergoing a multifaceted transition. There are fundamental changes in conceptions of democratic citizenship and in its practice as well as the targets of citizen action. Scepticism about representative democracy as a system of governance is growing and citizens across established democracies are withdrawing from politics. Their perception about the political world is impacted by transformations in the news media practices and by online content, including social media. Voting and party politics have been the basis of conventional interpretations of citizenship, but there is ample evidence that this conception is much too limited. New forms of communication are providing citizens with novel ways to gather information and to engage in politics.

Axis 3: Representing and Governing Citizens in Critical Times - After learning and practicing democratic citizenship, the next critical steps are representation and governance. Democratic institutions are key elements. They shape the norms and incentives for active citizenship and they link citizens and their representatives in ways that foster accountability, legitimacy and representation. In Québec and Canada, as well as in other countries, confidence of citizens toward the institutions is low, as many dislike the way that members of parliaments behave and consider that politicians don’t honour their promises, hence various political endeavours to reform these institutions. Research on this axis will focus on the role of electoral systems, parliaments, parliamentary debates, and political parties.

theme

Responding to Citizens: Responsiveness, Representation and Accountability

Perceiving the Public World

Making Choice in Public Life

Linking Citizens and Democratic Institutions in a reform

Learning Across the Life Cycle

Debating Citizens choices: Parties and Parliaments

Challenges for Learning Citizenship

Publications