Challenges To Canadian Federalism

Canadian federalism, as a particular form of political organization for a complex society—with multiple economic, political, geographic, cultural, and national divides—faces important challenges. The political realignment that brought the Conservative Party to power in the last quinquennium has set in motion a significant transformation of the Canadian state and its federal system of governance. The contributors in this collection focus on three recurrent themes: the issues arising from the management of ethno-cultural diversity; the existence of internal nations in Canada (the First Nations and the Quebec nation in Quebec), the presence of linguistic minorities (French and English), and the questions of identity linked to citizenship in a federal context that allows for the presence of multiple loyalties; and the specific challenges raised by globalization and the extension of economic integration, particularly between the United States and Canada. This collection of studies on the role of the state reveals that our understanding of the evolution of the Canadian state, and of the ensuing impact on federalism and federal-provincial relations, is not as complete as it should be.

Passing the Buck is the first in-depth study of the impact of federalism on Canadian environmental policy. The book takes a detailed look at the ongoing debate on the subject and traces the evolution of the role of the federal government in environmental policy and federal-provincial relations concerning the environment from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. The author challenges the widespread assumption that federal and provincial governments invariably compete to extend their jurisdiction. Using well-researched case studies and extensive research to support her argument, the author points out that the combination of limited public attention to the environment and strong opposition from potentially regulated interests yields significant political costs and limited political benefits. As a result, for the most part, the federal government has been content to leave environmental protection to the provinces. In effect, the federal system has allowed the federal government to pass the buck to the provinces and shirk the political challenge of environmental protection.

This is Canada's only up-to-date collection of essays on issues in Canadian federalism, covering the Harper and Trudeau eras, as well as federal-provincial debates over healthcare, climate change, trade, and more.

First published in French in 2006, Le fédéralisme canadien contemporain was immediately recognised as the most comprehensive collection of reflections on Canadian federalism by leading Québécois scholars. This remarkable translation of a range of Québécois voices makes their insightful and underrepresented perspectives available to English-language audiences. Offering alternative views of the Canadian federal model's realities by covering its foundations, traditions, and institutions, Contemporary Canadian Federalism considers the ways in which federalism relates to issues such as regionalism, multiculturalism, rights and freedoms, financial distribution, and public policy. Filled with stimulating work that bridges the gap between distinctive traditions in English- and French-Canadian scholarship on federalism, this important volume is required reading for understanding provincial-federal relations and Canadian governance.