For over 30 years, Canadian Politics: Critical Approaches has engaged students in the history and debates of the Canadian political environment. The country has changed a great deal over these past decades; however, Canada’s political institutions have not. The relative stability of political institutions in the face of rapidly changing social, economic, and international environments is an enduring theme of Canadian politics. With the most recent election, the federal government laid out an ambitious agenda of political reform. Among other changes, the new government has pledged to reform the House of Commons, the senate, and the way votes are counted and seats are allocated in elections. This text provides readers with the tools and background knowledge to help them think seriously and critically about these and many other questions that Canada now faces.

This text places its major focus between the two parts of the Canadian political system: its “environment” and its institutions. 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. This new eighth edition of Canadian Politics: Critical Approaches seeks to make informed critics of its readers by presenting the relevant, challenging concepts of Canada’s political system with a balanced and engaging account of both political institutions and social influencers.

Preface
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: Aboriginal Peoples
Chapter 5: French Canada and the Quebec Question
Chapter 6: Ethnocultural Minorities
Chapter 7: Gender
Chapter 8: Class
Chapter 9: Urban/Rural Location, Religion, and Age
Chapter 10: Canada’s External Environment: The United States and the World

Part Three: Linking People to Government
Chapter 11: The Canadian Political Culture
Chapter 12: Political Socialization, the Mass Media, and Public Opinion Polls
Chapter 13: Elections and the Electoral System
Chapter 14: Political Parties and the Party System
Chapter 15: The Election Campaign, Voting, and Political Participation
Chapter 16: Advocacy Groups, Social Movements, and Lobbying

Part Four: The Constitutional Context
Chapter 17: The Canadian Constitution and Constitutional Change
Chapter 18: The Federal System
Chapter 19: The Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Part Five: Governing
Chapter 20: The Policymaking Process and Policy Instruments
Chapter 21: The Executive: Crown, Prime Minister, and Cabinet
Chapter 22: The Bureaucracy
Chapter 23: Parliament
Chapter 24: The Judiciary

Appendix A
Appendix B
Glossary
Index

For over 30 years, Canadian Politics: Critical Approaches has engaged students in the history and debates of the Canadian political environment. The country has changed a great deal over these past decades; however, Canada’s political institutions have not. The relative stability of political institutions in the face of rapidly changing social, economic, and international environments is an enduring theme of Canadian politics. With the most recent election, the federal government laid out an ambitious agenda of political reform. Among other changes, the new government has pledged to reform the House of Commons, the senate, and the way votes are counted and seats are allocated in elections. This text provides readers with the tools and background knowledge to help them think seriously and critically about these and many other questions that Canada now faces. This text places its major focus between the two parts of the Canadian political system: its “environment” and its institutions. 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. This new eighth edition of Canadian Politics: Critical Approaches seeks to make informed critics of its readers by presenting the relevant, challenging concepts of Canada’s political system with a balanced and engaging account of both political institutions and social influencers. The most recent 2015 federal election campaign and election results have been thoroughly integrated throughout. The text places focus on “path dependence” and the increasing calls for institutional reform, especially to the House of Commons, senate, and the electoral system. New Charter decisions of the Supreme Court, including those on religious freedoms, prostitution, and doctor-assisted suicide have been discussed throughout. The text expands upon the volatile nature of public opinion in Quebec regarding nationalism, federalism, party preference, and religious tolerance, as well as the re-election of a Liberal majority government. The text discusses recent political issues and movements, such as the wearing of the niqab during citizenship ceremonies, the Keystone Pipeline debate, Arctic sovereignty, and the “Idle No More” movement. The text now features an engaging 4 colour design. The text explores the ‘environment’ of the Canadian political system, emphasizing its societal setting with discussions of regionalism, Aboriginal peoples, the French–English cleavage, ethnocultural groups, gender, class, age, religion, urban/rural location, and the global environment. 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; but it also balances these difficult aspects by suggesting possible reforms and alternative arrangements. 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.