2010 John McMenemy Prize

Winner: Matthew Kerby

Worth the Wait: Determinants of Ministerial Appointments in Canada, 1935 – 2008, Canadian Journal of Political Science 42:3

Excerpt from jury report: Kerby’s study of the determinants of appointment to the federal cabinet is refreshing and timely. The article is based on an original dataset, is methodologically sophisticated, and the treatment makes the Canadian case truly comparable. It provides the first formalized assessment of the relative impact of such factors as gender, age, education, length of tenure in parliament and in cabinet, margin of victory, and region on the likelihood of an MP being appointed to cabinet. Clearly written, with technical information presented in an accessible manner, this important and original contribution opens a new chapter in the study of this core political institution.