Alex Marland receives the 2017 Donner Prize.
Political Science alumnus Alex Marland, an expert on political communication and marketing in Canada and an Associate Professor of Political Science at Memorial University, has won the 2017 Donner Prize for his book Brand Command: Canadian Politics and Democracy in the Age of Message Control, published by UBC Press.
“Marland’s authoritative, original and accessible treatise on the most significant development in modern democratic politics will captivate Canadians, especially those with an interest in policy and politics,” said the jury’s statement. “The priority given to ‘brand’ in contemporary politics has led to ever tighter message control and consequently to increased centralization of power in the Prime Minister’s Office.”
The statement adds that Professor Marland’s book demonstrates how parliamentary democracy has been penetrated by the same marketing principles as large corporations.
Just a few days later, Professor Marland won the Atlantic Book Award for Scholarly Writing for the same book.
Alex Marland is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean of Undergraduate, Humanities & Social Sciences at Memorial University in Newfoundland. He earned a BA Honours in Political Science from Carleton University in 1996 and his mother was a long-time staff member, with many years in Carleton International. Both of his parents and their three children attended Carleton.
“Carleton University is an indelible part of my identity and the basis of my political science studies,” said Professor Marland. “That Brand Command was awarded the Donner Prize will help increase awareness in academia about the importance of studying political communication. The book’s scholarship is relevant to many areas of Carleton University’s impressive expertise, extending beyond political science to public policy and administration, journalism and communication, and especially its political management program. I’m optimistic that the recognition of Brand Command will help support other researchers and students who want to understand the implications of coordinated communication on Canadian democracy.”
The $50,000 Donner Prize rewards excellence and innovation in Canadian public policy thinking, writing and research. It is awarded to the best public policy book written by a Canadian.
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Monday, June 5, 2017 in Department of Political Science, News
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