How Ottawa Spends, 1991-1992
How Ottawa Spends, 1991-1992

Author: Frances Abele

Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP

Published: 1991-05-15

Total Pages: 389

ISBN-13: 0773591214

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This volume is the twelfth in the series on federal government spending and policy performance compiled by Carleton University's School of Public Administration. This edition assesses the future of Canada in the post-Meech, post-free trade era. Four articles concentrate on the increasing fragmentation of Canada after the failure of the Meech Lake Accord, and each of the others ponders various topics in the context of an era when the nature of the federation seems very much in questions. Authors from western Canada, the Atlantic region and Quebec explore the changing political landscapes in their areas, while others consider the shifting realities in aboriginal-state relations. Abortion, race relations, federal grants to interest groups, benefits to the elderly, and telecommunications policy are all reviewed as aspects of the "mature" agenda of the Progressive Conservative party in power. Taken as a group, these articles provide a multifaceted and sometimes surprising evaluation of government performance.

Governing with the Charter
Governing with the Charter

Author: James B. Kelly

Publisher: UBC Press

Published: 2011-11-01

Total Pages: 338

ISBN-13: 0774840080

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In Governing with the Charter, James Kelly clearly demonstrates that our current democratic deficit is not the result of the Supreme Court’s judicial activism. On the contrary, an activist framers’ intent surrounds the Charter, and the Supreme Court has simply, and appropriately, responded to this new constitutional environment. While the Supreme Court is admittedly a political actor, it is not the sole interpreter of the Charter, as the court, the cabinet, and bureaucracy all respond to the document, which has ensured the proper functioning of constitutional supremacy in Canada. Kelly analyzes the parliamentary hearings on the Charter and also draws from interviews with public servants, senators, and members of parliament actively involved in appraising legislation to ensure that it is consistent with the Charter. He concludes that the principal institutional outcome of the Charter has been a marginalization of Parliament and that this is due to the Prime Minister’s decision on how to govern with the Charter.

Canada's Department of External Affairs, Volume 2
Canada's Department of External Affairs, Volume 2

Author: John Hilliker

Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 530

ISBN-13: 0773507388

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The second volume of the official history of the 'Department of External Affairs, Coming of Age' covers a period of remarkable expansion and achievement in the history of Canadian external relations.

Government
Government

Author: Donald J. Savoie

Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP

Published: 2022-05-22

Total Pages: 182

ISBN-13: 0228013437

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Citizens have lost trust in their institutions of public governance. In trying to fix the problem, presidents and prime ministers have misdiagnosed the patient, failing to recognize that government bureaucracies are inseparable from political institutions. As a result, career officials have become adroit at managing the blame game but much less so at embracing change. Donald Savoie looks to the United States, Great Britain, France, and Canada to assess two of the most important challenges confronting governments throughout the Western world: the concentration of political power and the changing role of government bureaucracy. The four countries have distinct institutions shaped by distinct histories, but what they have in common is a professional non-partisan civil service. When presidents and prime ministers decide to expand their personal authority, national institutions must adjust while bureaucracies grow to fill the gap, paradoxically further constricting government efficacy. The side effects are universal – political power is increasingly centralized; Parliament, Congress, and the National Assembly have been weakened; Cabinet has lost standing; political parties have been debased; and civil services have been knocked off their moorings. Reduced responsibility and increased transparency make civil servants slow to take risks and politicians quick to point fingers. Government astutely diagnoses the problem of declining trust in government: presidents and prime ministers have failed to see that efficacy in government is tied to well-performing institutions.