Electorate Size and Representational Communication in Canadian Cities.

Electorate size is recognized to affect a wide range of democratic processes and outcomes. This is particularly true at the local level of government where amalgamations have been common in recent years. Here, we explore the extent to which electorate size affects how city councillors communicate with their constituents in order to learn about those constituents' needs and preferences. We hypothesize that councillors cope with increases in electorate size by using face-to-face methods of communication less and mediated forms of communication, including social media, more. Drawing on original interview and survey data with Canadian city councillors, we find that councillors tend to rely on face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, and email to communicate with constituents, but are less likely to use social media to do so. However, we find no evidence to support the hypothesized relationships between electorate size and representational communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]