Whipped

J.P. Lewis:

Whipped renews our understanding of Canadian parliamentary politics and party discipline in the modern setting, where we see intensifying message discipline across a range of new platforms and technologies. Writing in accessible plain language, Marland pushes his argument forward with a mix of convincing new primary research.

Elizabeth Haig:
It is a fresh addition to the study of Canadian politics, written in a clear and accessible tone yet rife with diligent detail and sharp analysis.

Darren G. Lilleker:
Marland [provides] an important fresh look at the issues around party whip systems and explores the mechanisms of party discipline and the extent discipline can be enforced in the digital age of direct communication between represented and representative.

Royce Koop, associate professor, Department of Political Studies, University of Manitoba:
Whipped substantially increases our understanding of the function of Canada’s Parliament, the role of MPs within it, and party discipline in general.

Donald Savoie, Canada Research Chair, Public Administration and Governance, Université de Moncton:

Canadians have long wondered what goes on in the backrooms of our democracy. They need wonder no longer – Alex Marland has produced a very well-researched and highly accessible book on the inner workings of Parliament, on the role the caucus plays, and on how political parties operate.

Tamara A. Small, associate professor, Department of Political science, University of Guelph:

Whipped pulls the curtain back on party discipline, an aspect of Canadian politics that we know little about. By revealing the links between party discipline and message discipline, Marland gets us thinking about this topic in an entirely new way, Whipped should be read by practitioners and academics alike.

Paul Thomas, professor emeritus, Department of Political Studies, University of Manitoba:
This tremendously valuable book offers a sophisticated, in-depth investigation into how party cohesion, message control, discipline, and conflict management happen in the modern environment of permanent campaigning and parliamentary politics. This is a major contribution to our understanding of the realities of Canadian political life.

Susan Delacourt, Toronto Star columnist and author of Shopping for Votes:

Whipped will take you to the place that political journalists find incredibly difficult to cover – the world of political-party culture, which operates by its own unwritten, constantly evolving rules, and always as a tug-of-war between ambitious individuals and their teams. Alex Marland, once again, has given us a book about how the political system really works, not just about how it is supposed to work.

Rick Mercer:

Whipped reveals how the people who govern us govern themselves. A great read for anyone curious about how politics in Canada really works. An absolute must-read for anyone thinking of running for office. Because if you find yourself sitting in Parliament having not read it? You’ll be in for a hell of a surprise.