Governance and Public Policy in A Tense Union

Rasmussen Ken Phillips Peter W.B. McNutt Kathleen Marchildon Gregory P. B?land Daniel Atkinson Michael

ISBN 10: 144260493X / ISBN 13: 9781442604933

Published by Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, Faculty of Education, 2013

About this Item

pp. 224.

Seller Inventory # 5489733

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Governance and Public Policy in A Tense Union
• Publisher: Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, Faculty of Education
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 144260493X
• ISBN 13: 9781442604933
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Governance and Public Policy in Canada lays the foundation for a systematic analysis of policy developments, shaped as they are by multiple players, institutional tensions, and governance legacies. Arguing that provinces are now the most central site of governance and policy innovation, the book assesses the role of the provinces and places the provincial state in its broader economic, institutional, social, and territorial context. The aim throughout is to highlight the crucial role of provinces in policy changes that directly affect the lives of citizens.

Three key themes unify this book. First, it addresses the role of policy convergence and divergence among provinces. Although the analysis acknowledges enduring differences in political culture and institutions, it also points to patterns of policy diffusion and convergence in specific areas in a number of provinces. Second, the book explores the push and pull between centralization and decentralization in Canada as it affects intergovernmental relations. Third, it underscores that although the provinces play a greater role in policy development than ever before, they now face a growing tension between their expanding policy ambitions and their capacity to develop, fund, implement, manage, and evaluate policy programs. Governance and Public Policy in Canada describes how the provincial state has adapted in the context of these changing circumstances to transcend its limited capacity while engaging with a growing number of civil society actors, policy networks, and intergovernmental bodies.

About the Author

Michael M. Atkinson, Daniel Béland, Gregory P. Marchildon, Kathleen McNutt, Peter W.B. Phillips, and Ken Rasmussen are all with the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina.