Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy in Canada

2015-10-01 Social Science

Author : Meenal Shrivastava
Release : 2015-10-01
Genre : Social Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 295/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy in Canada by : Meenal Shrivastava

Download or read book Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy in Canada written by Meenal Shrivastava. This book was released on 2015-10-01. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Democracy in Alberta: The Theory and Practice of a Quasi-Party System, published in 1953, C. B. Macpherson explored the nature of democracy in a province that was dominated by a single class of producers. At the time, Macpherson was talking about Alberta farmers, but today the province can still be seen as a one-industry economy—the 1947 discovery of oil in Leduc having inaugurated a new era. For all practical purposes, the oil-rich jurisdiction of Alberta also remains a one-party state. Not only has there been little opposition to a government that has been in power for over forty years, but Alberta ranks behind other provinces in terms of voter turnout, while also boasting some of the lowest scores on a variety of social welfare indicators. The contributors to Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy critically assess the political peculiarities of Alberta and the impact of the government’s relationship to the oil industry on the lives of the province’s most vulnerable citizens. They also examine the public policy environment and the entrenchment of neoliberal political ideology in the province. In probing the relationship between oil dependency and democracy in the context of an industrialized nation, Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy offers a crucial test of the “oil inhibits democracy” thesis that has hitherto been advanced in relation to oil-producing countries in the Global South. If reliance on oil production appears to undermine democratic participation and governance in Alberta, then what does the Alberta case suggest for the future of democracy in industrialized nations such as the United States and Australia, which are now in the process of exploiting their own substantial shale oil reserves? The environmental consequences of oil production have, for example, been the subject of much attention. Little is likely to change, however, if citizens of oil-rich countries cannot effectively intervene to influence government policy.

Democracy in Canada

2019-09-02 Political Science

Author : Donald J. Savoie
Release : 2019-09-02
Genre : Political Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 416/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Democracy in Canada by : Donald J. Savoie

Download or read book Democracy in Canada written by Donald J. Savoie. This book was released on 2019-09-02. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

The Oxford Handbook of Canadian Politics

2010-04-29 Political Science

Author : John Courtney
Release : 2010-04-29
Genre : Political Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 35X/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of Canadian Politics by : John Courtney

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Canadian Politics written by John Courtney. This book was released on 2010-04-29. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of Canadian Politics provides a comprehensive overview of the transformation that has occurred in Canadian politics since it acheived autonomy nearly a century ago, examining the institutions and processes of Canadian government and politics at the local, provincial and federal levels. It analyzes all aspects of the Canadian political system: the courts, elections, political parties, Parliament, the constitution, fiscal and political federalism, the diffusion of policies between regions, and various aspects of public policy.

Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up

2014-06-25 Political Science

Author : Elisabeth Gidengil
Release : 2014-06-25
Genre : Political Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 285/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up by : Elisabeth Gidengil

Download or read book Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up written by Elisabeth Gidengil. This book was released on 2014-06-25. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Imperfect Democracies

2012-10-05 Political Science

Author : Patti Tamara Lenard
Release : 2012-10-05
Genre : Political Science
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 798/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Imperfect Democracies by : Patti Tamara Lenard

Download or read book Imperfect Democracies written by Patti Tamara Lenard. This book was released on 2012-10-05. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Canada and the United States are consistently ranked among the most democratic countries in the world, yet voices expressing concern about the quality of these democracies are becoming louder and more insistent. Critics maintain that the two countries suffer from a “democratic deficit,” a deficit that raises profound questions about the legitimacy and effectiveness of their democratic institutions. Imperfect Democracies brings together Canadian and American scholars to compare and contrast the democratic deficit in the two nations. Blending normative theory and empirical analysis, they focus on three key questions: Why talk about a democratic deficit? In what ways are Canadian and American democracies falling short? What can be done to remedy the deficit? An important contribution to the field of democratic theory and the study of democratic institutions, this timely book will spark debate on both sides of the border.

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Democracy in Canada

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