
Canadian Politics: Critical Approaches, 9th Edition
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For more than 30 years, Canadian Politics: Critical Approaches has presented the reality of Canadian government and politics in a comprehensive yet lean and readable manner. It provides the tools and foundational knowledge to help students become better informed, more involved, and more critical citizens. Students will be deeply engaged in the clash of interests from which Canadian political activity has stemmed and will be equally fascinated by topics related to political culture, the mass media, public opinion, elections, and advocacy groups that will introduce them to the vibrant and dynamic world of Canadian politics. Change in recent years both from within Canada and outside its borders challenges some of the foundational assumptions of modern liberal democracy. The new ninth edition emphasizes two themes: the relative stability of Canada’s political institutions in the face of rapidly changing social, economic, and international environments, and the political decisions that are necessary to guarantee the perseverance of Canada’s values, country, and system of government.
Features
- *NEW* Discussions of recent political topics such as the Philpott and Wilson-Raybould controversy and challenge of PM authority, the revised NAFTA agreement, and the #MeToo movement have been added to the text.
- *NEW* Data and graphs integrated throughout the text have been updated through the end of 2019.
- *NEW* The most recent 2019 election and results have been thoroughly integrated throughout the new edition.
- *NEW* Chapter 4 on Indigenous Peoples in Canada has been reinvigorated and continues to embed non-Indigenous peoples in the New World within Indigenous timescales, rather than the reverse.
- *NEW* The new chapter on Political Economy replaces the previous edition's chapter on Class and expands the focus to include alternative models of Political Economy.
- *NEW* The new edition includes updated coverage of recent changes to Canada's Senate, social media's role in politics, and LGBTQ+ gender perspectives.
- Canadian Politics: Critical Approaches meets head-on the challenging concepts of Canada's political system: the systemic inequalities in political power, the notion that those in power do whatever it takes to enhance their chances of re-election, the enormous pressure of corporations and business groups, the predominance of the prime minister, and the ever-present influence of the bureaucracy; however, it also balances these difficult aspects by suggesting possible reforms and alternative arrangements.
- The text explores the "environment" of the Canadian political system, emphasizing its societal setting with discussions of regionalism, Indigenous peoples, the French–English cleavage, immigration and diversity, gender, class, political economy, urban/rural location, and the global environment.
- The text includes chapters on all the institutions of Canadian government, including the Constitution, federalism, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the executive, bureaucracy, Parliament, and the judiciary.
- The Critical Approaches feature emphasizes key political decisions and explains the various factors that had to be considered in order to make informed decisions.
Table of Contents
- Preface
- About the Authors
- Part One: Introduction
- Chapter 1: Approaching the Study of Politics
- Chapter 2: Institutional Foundations and the Evolution of the State
- Part Two: The Societal Context: Cleavages and Identities
- Chapter 3: Regionalism
- Chapter 4: Indigenous Peoples
- Chapter 5: French Canada and Quebec Question
- Chapter 6: Immigration and Diversity
- Chapter 7: Gender
- Chapter 8: Political Economy
- Chapter 9: Canada?s External Environment: The United States and the World
- Part Three: Linking People to Government
- Chapter 10: The Canadian Political Culture
- Chapter 11: Political Socialization, the Mass Media, and Public Opinion Polls
- Chapter 12: Elections and the Electoral System
- Chapter 13: Political Parties and the Party System
- Chapter 14: The Election Campaign, Voting, and Political Participation
- Chapter 15: Advocacy Groups, Social Movements, and Lobbying
- Part Four: The Constitutional Context
- Chapter 16: The Canadian Constitution and Constitutional Change
- Chapter 17: The Federal System
- Chapter 18: The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- Part Five: Governing
- Chapter 19: The Executive: Crown, Prime Minister, and Cabinet
- Chapter 20: The Bureaucracy
- Chapter 21: Parliament
- Chapter 22: The Judiciary
- Appendix A Constitution Act, 1867 (excerpts)
- Appendix B Constitution Act, 1982, Schedule B
- Glossary
- Index