Elite Accommodation In Canadian Politics

A comprehensive account of the structure, process and influence of interest groups and their behaviour in the political systems of Canada and the USA.

Originally published in 1973, the main objectives of this study were to bring together a comprehensive amount of empirical information on the structure and process of interest groups and the nature of their interaction and influence vis-á-vis government (a great deal of such information existed regarding the USA but the subject had been somewhat neglected in the case of Canada) and also to provide a theoretical explanation of interest groups in the political process by a comparative analysis of their behaviour in the two different political and cultural systems of Canada and the USA. The implications of the study are developed within the framework of the theory of elite accommodation, which attempts to explain interest-group behaviour in the context of the larger socio-political system. Arguing that Canada should be included in the category of 'consociational' societies - i.e. relatively stable societies characterised by deep cleavages of religion and ethnicity, such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland - the author shows how accommodation between governmental and private elites encourages democratic stability in Canada in two ways: in a 'nation-saving' context and also on the operational level of allocating social resources.

Political Elites in Canada offers a timely look at Canadian political power brokers and how they are adapting to a fast-paced digital media environment. Elite power structures are changing worldwide, with traditional influencers losing authority over prevailing social, economic, and political structures. This volume explores the changing landscape for power brokers, the ascent of new elites, and how they are using digital communication to connect with Canadians in unprecedented ways. Featuring studies of governmental decision makers in the public service and non-governmental influence brokers, such as social media commentators, this collection is a much-needed synthesis of elite politics in Canada.

Originally published in 1974, this volume presents the results of a five-year study into interest groups, funded by the Canada Council.

A comparative perspective on the distinctive feature of the Canadian policy process enabling conflict resolution

A wide-ranging analysis of public and elite attitudes reveals a hegemonic order through the early 1980s, built around public support for the institutions of the Canadian welfare state. But there was also widespread public alienation from politics. Public opinion was quite strongly linked to class but not to party politics. Regional variation in political ideology on a broad range of issues was less pronounced than differences between Quebec and English Canada. Much deeper ideological divisions separated the elites, with a dramatic polarization between corporate and labour respondents. State elites fell between these two, though generally more favourable to capital. The responses of the business elites reveal the ideological roots of the Mulroney years in support for cuts in social programs, free trade, privatization, and deregulation.