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Canadian Federalism

Canadian Federalism

Performance, Effectiveness, and Legitimacy, Fifth Edition

Edited by Grace Skogstad and Herman Bakvis

Published by: University of Toronto Press

Imprint: University of Toronto Press

576 Pages, 152.00 × 229.00 × 25.00 mm

Paperback
9781487557195
Published: July 2025

£53.00

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Description
Contents
Authors

In the context of Canada’s political landscape, Canadian Federalism stands as the leading text on federal institutions and processes, analyzing the performance, effectiveness, and legitimacy of the federation’s core components. The fifth edition features contributions from twenty experts, including six new authors, who explore the socio-economic foundations, institutions, and intergovernmental relations that shape Canadian federalism.

The book is organized into three parts: it examines Canada as a case of comparative federalism; explores key social, economic, and environmental policy areas; and reimagines the federation by addressing Indigenous multi-level governance and the role of municipalities. By employing a common evaluative framework, this volume ensures consistency and analytical rigour, making it accessible to both students and scholars. The authors provide diverse assessments of Canadian federal institutions, highlighting different models of federalism under the Justin Trudeau government, such as collaborative federalism in certain areas and unilateralism in others.

In a time of political polarization and calls for reform, Canadian Federalism is essential reading for understanding the complexities of Canada’s governance and the urgent need for institutional improvements.

List of Figures and Tables
Contributors
Preface

Part One: Socio-Economic Foundations, Institutions, and Processes of Canadian Federalism

1. Canadian Federalism: Performance, Effectiveness, and Legitimacy
Herman Bakvis and Grace Skogstad

2, Self-Rule vs. Shared Rule: Canada as a Case of Comparative Federalism
Jörg Broschek

3. Quebec and the Canadian Federation
David Cameron

4. The Courts, the Division of Powers, and Judicial Decision-Making
Dennis Baker

5. Federalism, Factionalism, Populism, and Parties
Rob Currie-Wood and Jared Wesley

6. The Contingent Nature of Intergovernmental Relations in a Complex Federation
Robert Schertzer

Part Two: The Social and Economic Union

7. Economic Governance in the Canadian Federation
Grace Skogstad and Matt Wilder

8. International Trade and the Evolution of Canadian Federalism
Christopher Kukucha

9. Fiscal Federalism in the Canadian Federation
Trevor Tombe

10. The Three Federalisms and Change in Social Policy
Keith G. Banting

11. Transformative Change in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) or More of the Same? Child Care in the Canadian Federation
Linda A. White, Jenna Quelch, and Martha Friendly

12. Federalism and Canadian Health Care: Still Not Quite Universal
Herman Bakvis

13. Federalism and Immigration in Canada
Mireille Paquet

14. Federalism and Climate Change
Mark Winfield

Part Three: Reimagining the Federation

15. Nation to Nation? Canadian Federalism and the Politics of Indigenous Multi-Level Governance
Martin Papillon

16. Municipalities in the Federation
Jack Lucas and Alison Smith

17. Conclusion: Taking Stock of Canadian Federalism
Grace Skogstad and Herman Bakvis

Index

Herman Bakvis is a professor emeritus in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria.

Grace Skogstad is a professor emerita in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto.