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Are politicians treating voters like consumers?

ABOVE: Watch Toronto Star senior political writer Susan Delcourt discuss her new book with Tom Clark, host of The West Block.

The relationship between Canadians and their politicians has shifted over the past half-century to one in which voters have become consumers, and politicians the marketers, says Susan Delacourt, the Toronto Star’s senior political writer.

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That theory is explored in the long-time political journalist’s new book, Shopping for votes.

The book takes a look at how marketing strategies in the retail world have taken over the way in which political parties fight for votes.

“I wrote the book hoping that people would put it down and say, ‘wait a minute, is this what we want?’” Delacourt said in an interview on The West Block with Tom Clark. “I would like people to say that being a citizen and being a consumer are two different things.”

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Shopping for Votes is available now on Amazon.ca.

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