A prize for the best poster will be awarded by the Programme Committee at the 2011 Conference of the Canadian Political Science Association and the following criteria, approved at the CPSA Board of Directors meeting of 3 Dec 2005 are used to evaluate the posters and choose a winner: visual impact, clarity and scholarly contribution. The award of a three-year membership in the CPSA (including three years of the CJPS) will be presented to the recipient at the conference.

2010
Tamara A. Small (Mount Allison University)
Twittering Canadian Politics: A Content Analysis of Political Hashtags

Excerpt from jury report:
To come

2009
Charles Breton (University of British Columbia)
To Preserve What is Best of the Past: Network of Actors and Identity Analysis of Moral Conservatism in Canada

Excerpt from jury report:
Through the use of semi-directed interviews, Mr. Breton examines whether or not the so-called “religious right” in Canada constitutes an organized social movement. Drawing on the insights and methods of network analysis, Breton confirms the presence of what he calls a “Canadian Moral Conservatism Network.” Members of this network share a “sense of solidarity” which can be “awakened when a moral question comes to the forefront.” Members within the network, Breton finds, share both a “high intensity” and “high density” of relations. He thus concludes that the network can “be mobilized and possesses the capacity to be a movement.”

2008
James Cairns (Ryerson University)
Civic Ritual in Era of Politics-As-Usual: Newspaper Coverage of the Legislative Opening in Ontario, 1945-2007

Excerpt from jury report:
The poster examined an important question: the evolution of media coverage of a key moment in the life of Parliament, the legislative opening. The adjudication committee has been impressed by the visual presentation of the poster, the strength of its theoretical and methodological foundations, the depth of the period examined, and the relevance of its results which may help to explain citizens' evolving views about political institutions.

2007
Paul Fairie (University of Calgary)
God Only Knows: The Canadian Catholic Voter in Comparative Context

Excerpt from jury report:
The poster tackled a significant question within the Canadian political science literature and proposes a plausible explanation for an enduring puzzle. The adjudication committee believed that the poster represented a contribution to the literature and was presented in an effective poster format.

2006
Frédéric Bastien (Université de Montréal)
Stay Tuned! Infotainment and Viewers' Behaviour in Quebec

Excerpt from jury report:
Stay Tuned! Infotainment and Viewers' Behaviour in Quebec explains, in a compelling poster format, why citizens remain interested in politically informative television programs while, at the same time, the number of entertainment alternatives is increasing. Frederic Bastien provides a clear summary of data on viewer's responses to informative television programs.