#1. How well MPs provide effective two-way communications between citizens and government.
On the first measure, communications, Samara awards a B grade based on the fact that MPs do make an attempt to reach Canadians through such avenues as social media, the maintenance of a website, and the mailing of materials. The B seems perhaps overly generous given the mostly one-way communications, with the MPs – depending on their political party – advising their constituents of all the great things or terrible things the government is doing or not doing When constituents are surveyed, the questions are usually quite one-sided and clearly designed to solicit a particular response rather than to seek out public opinion. In fairness to the politicians, however, whatever communications technique they employ are unlikely to stimulate a lively two-way discussion of issues given the extent of public disengagement – which is reflected in Samara’s second measurement.