Donald Trump  for 

Prior to Trump’s arrival on the American political stage, such  would have probably immediately . That’s seemingly no longer the case as the Republican party once again places their hopes in Trump to win the White House in November.

This latest Trump smear takes place as public trust in government is declining  and the . Justin Trudeau is the first prime minister to . Trump is the first .

Unethical behaviour by elected officials knows no borders or party lines. In both Canada and the U.S., pivotal elections are looming that will determine the political landscape for the remainder of the decade. In those upcoming elections, does running an ethical campaign still matter for politicians seeking their country’s highest office?

 involve political campaigns adhering to the principles of honesty, integrity and transparency, and assisting the electorate in making informed decisions. Unethical campaigning undermines public trust, fosters confusion, sows division, amplifies cynicism and leads to negative sentiments about government.

There are four practices candidates can implement to ensure they conduct an ethical campaign.

1. Avoid mudslinging

Campaign civility has shifted in the Trump era. Dirty campaigning, which includes tactics like name-calling, belittling opponents and incivility, is becoming de rigueur.

In July, Trump — notorious for his &�Բ�����;—&�Բ�����;. Less than a month later, the Republican presidential nominee  against her during a Pennsylvania rally.

At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Barack and Michelle Obama took personal jabs at Trump, with Barack Obama even  to insinuate that Trump’s fixation on small crowd sizes was related to the size of his genitalia.

If voters consider ethics important, they’d do well to consider how often candidates resort to tactics like name-calling and incivility. At the same time, the mudslinging cycle is hard to stop. Some observers liked that the Obamas stopped  and believe the Democrats need to 

2. Prioritize truth

At the 2024 Democratic and , Trump and Harris were fact-checked multiple times for false statements.

Trump has become the master of repeating untrue statements so often that his audiences start to believe his lies. After the results of the 2020 election, the former president repeatedly spread false claims about voter fraud and a stolen election, .

In an age of short messages sent over social media, with great competition for eyeballs, the more outrageous statements will garner attention.

The dissemination of misinformation erodes trust in campaigns and election outcomes, while distorting the knowledge needed for informed policy debate. Misinformation makes it difficult for voters to make an informed choice at the ballot box.

3. Clarity over confusion

Ambiguity on contentious policy issues, through vague or mixed statements by candidates, can be an effective strategy in some circumstances. While this kind of rhetoric has some upside, it poses risks to transparency and trust.

Voters can become cynical and distrustful of grandiose promises and lazy slogans, ultimately eroding public confidence in democratic processes. Prioritizing clarity and honesty will result in greater voter trust and uphold democratic integrity.

4. Transparent campaign financing

The 2024 U.S. presidential election campaign has already seen megadonors pour in billions of dollars. The  have already contributed US$1.5 billion to political action committees and other interest groups supporting candidates on both sides.

Critics have argued that the growing disconnect between politicians and their constituents is partly due to . In the U.S., .

So-called  — political action committees — can only finance independent expenditures and independent political activity. The funds do not go to political candidates, which raises serious concerns about transparency.

These committees can raise unlimited amounts from individuals, corporations and unions to overtly advocate for or against candidates. The result is that voters are not sure whose interest political candidates seek to serve.

 regarding political financing are essential to the integrity of political campaigns. Candidates who disclose the source of campaign funding minimize conflicts of interest and reduce the risk of being captured by special interests.

What's next

If behaving morally still matters to those running for office, and to voters, then adopting ethical campaign practices that align with civility, transparency, honesty and integrity is a step in the right direction.

If campaign ethics no longer matter, the U.S. and Canada will face more contested elections, greater political division and further erosion of trust in politicians.

By Professor Thomas Klassen, School of Public Policy and Administration, 91��ɫ, and Matthew Cerilli, Bachelor of Arts with Honours, Political Science, 91��ɫ '24

This article is republished from .

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As the UN global climate conference begins, it’s time Canada get serious on decarbonization—that means going after fossil fuel finance

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Schulich School of Business and Faculty of Health researchers say that while as many as 90 per cent of people with autism are unemployed or underemployed, their study points to the benefits of having neurodivergent people in the workplace

TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2023 — A well-established psychological theory states that most of us are less likely to intervene in a bad situation if other people are present, and this ‘bystander effect’ also applies to workplace settings. However, shows that people with autism are less likely to be affected by this social contagion than neurotypical people. They are less likely to stay silent in the face of gross misconduct or even just everyday mistakes, pointing to the positive aspects of autism and how organizations can benefit from hiring more neurodivergent people, findings reveal.

“Our study shows that to the extent that they would act if they saw something wrong, employees with autism were much more likely to intervene, regardless of the number of people present. And in situations where they would not intervene, they were more likely to identify the influence of others as the reason, whereas neurotypical employees were more reluctant to acknowledge this,” says lead author , an instructor with the Schulich School of Business.

Lorne and his son , a graduate student in the Faculty of Health at 91��ɫ who was a collaborator on the study, were inspired to look into this issue not only from their academic experience, but also because of personal experience — Braxton has autism and has been a public advocate on the issue since he was 12 years old.

“One of the motivations here is that a lot of the current literature on autism comes from a deficit mindset. It's basically saying these differences in autism are sort of exclusively negatives. We want to reframe that and ask, ‘What are ways that some of these differences could actually be an advantage rather than just a negative?’” says Braxton, whose research also focuses on autism. “One of the core areas that people tend to consider a deficit in autism is in terms of social interaction. We wanted to look at whether this is actually a positive to the extent that people with autism are less influenced by others when it comes to dysfunctional or unethical situations.”

Lorne has a background in clinical psychology and his main area of research looks at unethical behaviour in organizations.

“But most importantly, in all of these cases, there were hundreds, maybe thousands of people who may not have actually been involved in the wrongdoing, but they should have been aware that it was going on,” he says, summarizing his earlier research. “So having people around who are willing to blow the whistle, so to speak, is very important for organizations.”

The study was published this week in the October issue of Autism Research and created with collaborators from the University of Toronto. The research participants — employed individuals, 33 with autism and 34 neurotypical — were asked to weigh in on hypothetical scenarios involving everything from inefficiencies to inequalities to quality concerns.

While the results are preliminary and more research is needed, the researchers say their work has important practical implications, especially considering that the rates of unemployment and underemployment for people with autism may be as high as 90 per cent, and even if they have higher education, that statistic only drops to 70 per cent.

“We’re looking at this from two angles. One is looking at helping organizations be more ethical and efficient, but also, helping people like myself – people on the spectrum – find gainful employment by helping to change the societal understanding of autism,” concludes Braxton.

About 91��ɫ

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ’s fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario’s Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contacts: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations and External Communications, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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TORONTO, March 22, 2023 - 91��ɫ will launch an autonomous Indigenous Research Ethics Board (IREB) in July, believed to be a first for non-Indigenous post-secondary institutions in Canada, to further work in Indigenizing research and to ensure Indigenous Peoples have a greater say in proposed research projects. 

“There needs to be Indigenous voices and Indigenous Peoples who have a say and control over all aspects of the approval process and not just a consultative piece to it,” says Faculty of Health Associate Professor , a Mi’kmaw scholar, co-chair of the Indigenous Council at 91��ɫ and who led the team that established the IREB. “What makes this a fully autonomous Indigenous Research Ethics Board is that we don’t report to anybody except the University’s Senate." 

Although 91��ɫ’s Human Participants Review Committee (HPRC) helps ensure the safety and health of Indigenous research participants, there was a greater need for Indigenous-specific knowledges and leadership to ensure appropriate sensitivity to cultural and community rights, as well as roles and responsibilities across any research projects, says Hillier.  

The IREB is autonomous from the existing ethics committee. “What makes the IREB different is we’re not meant to be somewhere where you just fill in an ethics application, send it in and it gets approved or denied,” he says. “This is meant to be a process that engages scholars from the moment that they start thinking of research, speaking to them about the ethics and the implications of the work.” 

The IREB will be made up of a council that will include five University faculty members, one undergraduate and graduate students – all representative of a diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples and gender identities. It will also include three external elders and/or knowledge keepers, as well as three non-University affiliated Indigenous community representatives. 

“Establishing a fully autonomous IREB reflects the kind of relationship Indigenous communities want with universities,” says Faculty of Education Professor Susan Dion, 91��ɫ’s associate vice-president, Indigenous initiatives. “Recognizing the rights of Indigenous communities to steward knowledge production, it places the responsibility for ethical knowledge creation in the minds and hearts of Indigenous communities, which is where it must be. It is a significant move in returning to Indigenous people agency, authority, and sovereignty in knowledge production on this land.” 

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