Samara's goal is to strengthen the health of our democracy and encourage others to do the same. Together with organizations such as the Historica-Dominion Institute and individual teachers and professors, Samara has adapted the MP exit interview project to be used to teach students about Canadian democracy.
Our blog also features original research into Parliament and political culture, and also highlights the research and writings of others. You can use the search function in the top right-hand corner to search topics of interest, or you can follow our blog, Twitter feed, or Facebook page for regular updates.
For teachers
In association with the Historica-Dominion Institute, Samara has developed curriculum, based on the MP Exit Interview reports, for use in high school classes.
The Historica-Dominion Institute organizes an annual contest with students across the country called the Canadian Citizenship Challenge. This year, Samara is taking part by providing educational materials for students to learn about the backgrounds and paths to politics of the MPs we interviewed, and what they thought about the job.
If you are a middle-school or high-school teacher, we invite you to download a copy of Samara’s booklet “Representing You: Members of Parliament On the Job.” Based on our exit interviews with 65 former MPs, the booklet allows students to learn about Canadian democracy and explore what it's like to be an MP. You can download the booklet for free in English or French, and share it with your students and colleagues.
If you do, we would love for you to let us know so that we can keep you up to date on our other civics projects and learning materials. Just drop contact us at info[@]samaracanada.com.
You can also go to the Canadian Citizenship Challenge website to register your class for the contest. You will receive copies of "Representing You: Members of Parliament On the Job" and the Government of Canada's "Discover Canada" guide for your students, as well as learning tools and a quiz. Participating classes have a chance to win a trip to Ottawa, a Citizenship Celebration for their school, and hundreds of other prizes.
Samara also offers online seminars (webinars) for classes or schools. Webinars enable a representative from Samara to give a presentation to your classroom or school anywhere in the country, and then field questions from participating students and teachers. If you would like to book a webinar with a representative of Samara to discuss the findings of the MP Exit Interview project, please contact us.
If you wish, you can also visit our Get Involved section to become a Teacher Advisor.
For university professors
The MP Exit Interview reports have already been used in introduction to Canadian politics courses in Canadian universities, as the MPs’ narratives help bring to life many of the concepts covered in class. You can download and distribute them free of charge (just drop us an email so we can record your school’s interest). More information on our research methodology is available here.
Representatives of Samara are also available, via online seminars (webinars), to present the findings of the interviews and field questions. If you are interested, please contact us. As well, if there's anything we can do to help you tailor the reports to your class’s specific needs, please let us know.
For undergraduate students
Political science students specializing in Canadian politics can source the reports for papers. As well, our blog curates the latest writing on political life and offers original research on subjects such as voter apathy, voter turnout, Question Period, MPs pre-Parliamentary jobs and more.
Below are a few of the other subjects you’ll find covered in the reports and on the blog:
• Backgrounds of Canadian Members of Parliament
• Demographics of Parliament
• How MPs’ describe their roles, and how they spend their time in Ottawa
• MPs’ relationships with their political parties
• How MPs relate to their constituents and work in the ridings
• MPs’ advice, and what MPs say needs to change in Parliament
• MPs’ thoughts on where they do their most important work
The reports themselves can be assigned as reading for students in the last years of high school or early years of university.
• The Accidental Citizen? details the MPs’ backgrounds and paths to politics. It focuses on how so many of the MPs to whom we spoke described their journeys to public life as accidental.
• Welcome to Parliament: A Job With No Description describes the MPs’ initial orientation to Ottawa and the varied ways in which they described the essential role of an MP.
• "It's My Party": Parliamentary Dysfunction Reconsidered focuses on two trends regarding how MPs spent their time in Ottawa, both of which raise important and provocative questions for the health of Canadian democracy.
• The Outsider's Manifesto: Surviving and Thriving as a Member of Parliament examines what worked and what didn’t during the MPs’ years in Ottawa. They share their success stories and offer recommendations on what needs to change to facilitate the job of an MP, better engage citizens, and make our democracy more in line with citizens' expectations.
Also, use the search function in the top right-hand corner to see if we've done research in the area you're studying. Please contact us if we can provide any further information.
For Masters, PhD or post-grad students
All of the transcripts from the MP exit interviews are available for use in academic research. Already the reports and interviews have been used by PhD students and cited in academic papers. The original transcripts and MP3 audio will be archived in the Library of Parliament, but in the meantime, if you wish to access them, just contact us and we'll help you out.