Democracy in Canada

Democracy in Canada
Author: Donald J. Savoie
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2019-09-02
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0228000416

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.

Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up

Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up
Author: Elisabeth Gidengil
Publisher: UBC Press
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2014-06-25
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0774828285

Canada is often held up as an example of a healthy democracy. However, the Canadian public is less enthusiastic about the way our democracy works. Rather than focusing on institutional performance, this book approaches the “democratic deficit” from the perspective of the Canadian public and assesses the performance of political leaders and the media in light of Canadians’ perceptions and expectations. In doing so, a number of chapters highlight the disjuncture between perceptions and performance. For example, governments do keep many of their election promises, and media coverage is not as negative as we are apt to believe. Similarly, the book provides new insights into political apathy by drawing on focus group discussions that represent the first attempt to ask politically marginalized Canadians why they have turned their backs on politics. By introducing the voice of everyday Canadians, this book adds a new perspective to political discussions in this country. Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up is essential for anyone who would like to learn how to build a better democracy – one that meets the expectations of the Canadian public.

Strengthening Canadian Democracy

Strengthening Canadian Democracy
Author: Institute for Research on Public Policy
Publisher: Institute for Research on Public Policy
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2005
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

Reconsidering provincial and federal debates about democratic reform alternatives.

Reviving Canadian Democracy

Reviving Canadian Democracy
Author: C. Richard Tindal
Publisher: FriesenPress
Total Pages: 107
Release: 2014-12-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1460259696

The Downward Spiral of Canadian Democracy Democratic government in Canada has been declining - at an accelerating rate. The House of Commons is ineffective. The Senate is not accountable and is scandal-ridden. Decision making is increasingly centralized in the largely invisible staff in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Many who have been active participants have turned off and tuned out because of understandable disillusionment. The result is that actions that undermine democracy can now be taken without much fear of reprisal. This book explains how our democratic governing machinery and operating principles have been undermined and what can be done to reverse this downward slide. It is intended to enrage you and then engage you - in the fight to restore and to enhance our democratic institutions and practices.

Tragedy in the Commons

Tragedy in the Commons
Author: Alison Loat
Publisher: Vintage Canada
Total Pages: 287
Release: 2015-03
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0307361306

Former Members of Parliament from Canada's House of Commons discuss their political careers and Canadian politics in general is examined.

Turning Parliament Inside Out

Turning Parliament Inside Out
Author: Michael Chong
Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre
Total Pages: 165
Release: 2017
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9781771621373

For years, the prospect of parliamentary reform has been a hot-button issue in Canada. More and more Canadians find themselves frustrated with how Parliament works (or doesn't) and end up increasingly checked out from politics as a whole, feeling like their voices don't matter to those in power. When he introduced the "Reform Act" bill in 2013, Conservative MP Michael Chong brought the issue of parliamentary reform to the forefront, proposing changes that would empower MPs and hold party leadership accountable to their caucus--and therefore, to all Canadians. Although the changes required for such reforms are modest, the effects they would have on the Canadian democratic process would be revolutionary. In Turning Parliament Inside Out, Chong joins Kennedy Stewart (NDP) and Scott Simms (Liberal) in organizing a collaboration between MPs from all of Canada's major political parties, representing ridings from across the country. They join together in an across-the-aisle effort to make these changes a reality, explaining why reform is so urgently needed and proposing practical, achievable suggestions for making it happen. The contributors of this cross-partisan, cooperative project aimed at increasing citizen control of Canada's political institutions, include: FOREWORDS BY: Ed Broadbent, Preston Manning and Bob Rae NIKI ASHTON is the Member of Parliament for the riding of Churchill-Keewatinook Aski. First elected in 2008, she is a member of the NDP, the party's Critic for Jobs, Employment and Workforce Development and was a candidate in the 2012 NDP leadership race. MICHAEL CHONG (Editor) has represented the riding of Wellington-Halton Hills since 2004. He served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Sport and was a contestant in the 2017 Conservative leadership race. MICHAEL COOPER, Conservative Party, was elected to represent the riding of St. Albert-Edmonton in 2015. He is the Official Opposition Deputy Critic for Justice. NATHAN CULLEN is the NDP MP representing Skeena-Bulkley Valley since 2004. He has held various senior portfolios for the NDP including House Leader and Finance Critic and stood as a candidate in the 2012 NDP leadership race. ELIZABETH MAY is the leader of the Green Party of Canada. She became the first Green Party candidate to be elected to the House of Commons in 2011 and represents the riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands. SCOTT SIMMS (Editor)is the Member of Parliament for the Newfoundland and Labrador riding of Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame. First elected in 2004, he is a member of the Liberal Party and the current chair of the Standing Committee of Fisheries and Oceans. KENNEDY STEWART (editor) was elected in 2011 and is the NDP MP for Burnaby South. He is currently the NDP Critic for Science and chair of the NDP's British Columbia caucus. ANITA VANDENBELD is a member of the Liberal Party and was elected to represent the riding of Ottawa West-Nepean in 2015. She in a a member of the Standing Committee of the Status of Women and chaired the Special Committee on Pay Equity in 2016.

Strengthening Canadian Democracy

Strengthening Canadian Democracy
Author: Institute for Research on Public Policy
Publisher: IRPP
Total Pages: 384
Release: 2005
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780886451912

Reconsidering provincial and federal debates about democratic reform alternatives.

Protecting Canadian Democracy

Protecting Canadian Democracy
Author: Canadian Centre for Management Development
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
Total Pages: 401
Release: 2003
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0773525939

In recent years Canada's Senate, Parliament's chamber of sober second thought, has often been the subject of controversy and calls for reform. Protecting Canadian Democracy examines the history, role, and evolution of the Senate; places it in the context of other federal systems; and contrasts its role with that of provincial governments. Contributors analyse the Senate's use of its legislative powers, comparing it with the House of Commons, and assess the Senate's contribution to public policy development and review, showing how the upper chamber functions as a forum within Parliament for the representation of Canada's diverse regional, linguistic, cultural, and socio-economic interests. contending that the Senate should be improved by means that do not require formal amendments to the Constitution. The authors identify possibilities for reform the institution within the current constitutional framework, addressing the Senate's veto power, its appointment process, and its legislative independence. A valuable appendix of charts and statistics on the composition and operation of the Senate is also provided.