This paper examines relationships between constituency characteristics and individual legislators' behaviour in a parliamentary system. This kind of "dyadic" representation has received considerable attention in the US, particularly with the study of roll call voting. Outside the US, however, the study of individual representatives' behaviour has been more difficult. In many cases, information on individuals' behaviour has been difficult to attain; moreover, in many countries there are relatively few observable policy venues in which individual legislators have an opportunity for anything other than toeing the party line. We are very grateful to Denise Ledoux, Peter Niemczak, and others at the Library of Parliament, who provided much of the necessary data on MPs and electoral outcomes as well as valuable commentary at an early presentation of these data. We are also indebted to Lori Young, Iris Simixhiu, MarieJosée Bouffard, Michelle Meyer, and Zach Finkelstein, the principal coders on the project; to Keith Banting, Jenny Hunt, Jim Kelly, Jack Sandberg, and Arthur Sweetman for comments on previous versions; and to the Hons. Warren Allmand, Bill Blaikie, Ed Broadbent, Joe Clark, Peter Milliken, and Senator Gerald Comeau, each of whom was kind enough to share with us some of their knowledge of Parliament and Question Period.
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