Canada's representative democracy is confronting important challenges. At the top of the list is the growing inability of the national government to perform its most important roles: namely mapping out collective actions that resonate in all regions as well as enforcing these measures. Others include Parliament's failure to carry out important responsibilities, an activist judiciary, incessant calls for greater transparency, the media's rapidly changing role, and a federal government bureaucracy that has lost both its way and its standing. Arguing that Canadians must reconsider the origins of their country in order to understand why change is difficult and why they continue to embrace regional identities, Democracy in Canada explains how Canada's national institutions were shaped by British historical experiences, and why there was little effort to bring Canadian realities into the mix. As a result, the scope and size of government and Canadian federalism have taken on new forms largely outside the Constitution. Parliament and now even Cabinet have been pushed aside so that policy makers can design and manage the modern state. This also accounts for the average citizen's belief that national institutions cater to economic elites, to these institutions' own members, and to interest groups at citizens' own expense. A masterwork analysis, Democracy in Canada investigates the forces shaping the workings of Canadian federalism and the country's national political and bureaucratic institutions.

Democracy in Canada: The Disintegration of Our Institutions

Politics & Social Sciences

Savoie, Donald J.

Politics & Government

McGill-Queen's University Press

Government: Have Presidents and Prime Ministers Misdiagnosed the Patient? (Volume 5) (McGill-Queen's/Brian Mulroney Institute of Government Studies in Leadership, Public Policy, and Governance)

Social Sciences

Canada's political structure runs contrary to North America's economic geography and the north-south economic pull. Canada imported political and administrative institutions designed for a unitary state, and its political leaders have struggled to make them work since the country was founded. Because of this, many Canadians, their communities, and their regions view themselves as victims, to a greater degree than groups in other Western democracies do. Our federal government has shown a greater willingness to apologize for historical wrongs than other Western countries. Canada also outperforms other nations in helping victims make the transition to full participants in the country's political and economic life. Donald Savoie maintains that Canada continues to thrive despite the many shortcomings in its national political institutions and the tendency of Canadians to see themselves as victims, and that our history and these shortcomings have taught us the art of compromise. Canada's constitution and its political institutions amplify rather than attenuate victimization; however, they have also enabled Canadians to manage the issue better than other countries. Canadians also recognize that the alternative to Canada is worse, and this more than anything else continues to strengthen national unity. Drawing on his extensive experience in academe and as an advisor to governments, Savoie provides new insights into how Canada works for Canadians.

Canada: Beyond Grudges, Grievances, and Disunity

La structure politique du Canada va à l'encontre de la géographie économique de l'Amérique du Nord et de l'attraction économique entre le nord et le sud. Le Canada a importé des institutions politico-administratives conçues pour un État unitaire et, depuis la fondation du pays, ses leaders politiques se sont démenés pour qu'elles fonctionnent. Pour cette raison, plusieurs Canadien.ne.s, leurs communautés et leurs régions se perçoivent comme des victimes, et ce, à un degré plus élevé que chez d'autres groupes dans des démocraties occidentales. Notre gouvernement fédéral a démontré un plus grand empressement à s'excuser pour des injustices que les autres pays occidentaux. Le Canada est également plus performant que d'autres nations dans l'aide qu'il apporte aux victimes pour qu'elles fassent la transition les menant à participer pleinement à la vie politique et économique du pays. Donald Savoie soutient que le Canada continue à prospérer malgré les nombreux défauts de ses institutions politiques nationales et le penchant qu'ont les Canadien.ne.s à se voir comme des victimes, et que notre histoire et ces défauts nous ont appris l'art du compromis. La constitution du Canada et ses institutions politiques amplifient plus qu'elles n'atténuent la victimisation ; cependant, elles ont également permis aux Canadien.ne.s de mieux gérer cet enjeu que dans d'autres pays. Les Canadien.ne.s reconnaissent aussi que l'alternative au Canada est pire, et cela, plus que tout autre chose, continue à renforcer l'unité nationale. Puisant dans sa longue expérience dans le monde universitaire et en tant que conseiller auprès des gouvernements, Savoie propose de nouvelles manières de voir comment le Canada travaille pour sa population.

Le Canada: Au-delà des rancunes, des doléances et de la discorde (French Edition)

Speaking Truth to Canadians about Their Public Service

Inspired by the realization that, in most countries, the commitment to regional development is determined by national ideological swings rather than the socio-economic conditions in a particular region (here meaning an area smaller than a country). Surveys and evaluates the history of regional polic

Regional Policy in a Changing World (Environment, Development and Public Policy: Cities and Development)

Hansen, Niles

Higgins, Benjamin

Reference

Springer

Fiscal cutbacks, the public's declining confidence in government, and new ideologies are forcing the public sector in industrialized democracies to undertake major reforms. In these essays contributing authors examine changes to the political and economic environment and the ways in which governments have responded. The essays explain what is happening in government in the late twentieth century and suggest changes that can be expected in the future.

Governance in a Changing Environment (Governance and Public Management) (Volume 1)

Peters, Guy

Administrative Law

McGill University Libraries

Distinguished scholars from six countries investigate the effects of reforms in a number of areas, including budgeting, personnel management, and accountability. While reforms have been beneficial in some of these areas, success has been far from universal. By comparing and contrasting measures in Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, contributors isolate and evaluate factors - such as individual political leaders and the complexity of government - that influence the success or failure of reforms. Contents: Introduction - B. Guy Peters (Pittsburgh) and Donald J. Savoie (Moncton) The Changing Role of the State - Bert A. Rockman (Pittsburgh) Managerialism Revisited - Christopher Pollitt (Brunel) What Works? The Antiphons of Administrative Reform - B. Guy Peters Public Sector Values and Administrative Reforms - Nicole de Montricher (École Normale Supérieure, Paris) Public Consultation and Citizen Participation: Dilemmas of Policy Advice - Jon Pierre (Göteborg) Making Public Policy: The Changing Role of the Higher Civil Service - Patricia W. Ingraham (Syracuse) Assessing Past and Current Personnel Reforms: The Pursuit of Flexibility, Pay-for-Performance, and the Management of Reform Initiatives - Hal G. Rainey (Georgia) Innovation in Public Sector Management - Michel Paquin (École nationale d'administration publique) A New Generation of Budget Reform - Naomi Caiden (California State) Central Agencies and Departments: Empowerment and Coordination - John Hart (Australian National) Restructuring Government for the Management and Delivery of Public Services - Peter Aucoin (Dalhousie); The Changing Nature of Accountability - Paul G. Thomas (Manitoba); Fifteen Years of Reform: What Have We Learned? - Donald J. Savoie

Taking Stock: Assessing Public Sector Reforms (Governance and Public Management) (Volume 2)

History

Australia & Oceania

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