Though they serve in many roles and under many titles, no one doubts that political staffs now wield substantial influence in the making of government policy. Backrooms and Beyond draws on interviews with ministers, senior public servants, and political advisers to offer the first detailed Canadian treatment of how that influence is gained and exercised in the policy making process.A comparative analysis of case studies from three Canadian jurisdictions, including the fede...

This handbook comprehensively reflects, presents and summarises both first and second wave scholarship into policy advisory systems (PAS). Bringing together leading scholars to engage persistent as well as emergent themes, the handbook provides a single volume highlighting both classic and new directions for PAS research, summarising both existing knowledge and outlining possible future findings.Covering the activities of a range of advisory system members from think tanks to publi...

Policy Work in Canada is an in-depth study into the levels of analytical capacity found within the federal and provincial governments as well as the non-governmental sector. By focusing on the individuals who craft public policy in Canada, this collection of eighteen chapters broadens and deepens our understanding of policy development in Canada.The contributors to this volume empirically examine such topics as: the inherent characteristics of sophisticated policy analysis...

In turbulent environments and unstable political contexts, policy advisory systems have become more volatile. The policy advisory system in Anglophone countries is composed of different types of advisers who have input into government decision making. Government choices about who advises them varies widely as they demand contestability, greater partisan input and more external consultation. The professional advice of the public service may be disregarded. The consequences for public policy...

Policy analysis in Canada brings together original contributions from many of the field’s leading scholars. Contributors chronicle the evolution of policy analysis in Canada over the past 50 years and reflect on its application in both governmental and non-governmental settings.As part of the International Library of Policy Analysis series, the book enables cross-national comparison of public policy analysis concepts and practice within national and sub-national governments, media,...

The international community today is hardly in a position to avoid another genocide, as witnessed in Rwanda in 1994, despite the significant evolution of early warning systems in recent years. Based on a review of the literature on early warning and response, as well as inputs from surveyed agencies, Preventing Violence, War and State Collapse assesses the value and role of early warning for the prevention of violent conflict and identifies the most effective early warning and res...

A political insider tells us how we can make a difference. A must-read for fans of The Rebel Sell and Naomi Klein’s No Logo.What difference can one person make? If I’m not a famous actor, rock star, or multi-millionaire philanthropist, what do I really have to offer?The notion that the government is open only to a few is a myth. In fact, our political system is incredibly accessible, but the misguided belief that people can only participate...

Used across the public health field, this is the leading text in the area, focusing on the context, participants and processes of making health policy.

The Hill Times: Best Books of 2016Written by the foremost authorities, The Canadian Federal Election of 2015 provides a complete investigation of the election.A comprehensive analysis of the campaigns and the election outcome, this collection of essays examines the strategies, successes, and failures of the major political parties: the Conservatives, the Liberals, the New Democrats, the Bloc Québécois, and the Green Party.Also feat...

Making policy is what governments do, but there are some fascinating and hotly debated issues associated with how government decisions get made in the interests of the people. The concept and practice of evidence-based policy-making insists that properly developed public policy draws on the best available evidence. This book considers how governments in Canada have historically interacted with research and what directions these interactions may take in the future. The goal of government maki...

Drawing on in-depth empirical research spanning a number of countries in Africa, Booth and Cammack's path-breaking book offers both an accessible overview of issues surrounding governance for development on the continent, whilst also offering a bold new alternative. In doing so, they controversially argue that externally imposed 'good governance' approaches make unrealistic assumptions about the choices leaders and officials are, in practice, able to make. As a result, reform initiatives a...

The growth of what some academics refer to as 'the policy analysis movement' represents an effort to reform certain aspects of government behaviour. The policy analysis movement is the result of efforts made by actors inside and outside formal political decision-making processes to improve policy outcomes by applying systematic evaluative rationality to the development and implementation of policy options. This volume offers a comprehensive overview of the many ways in which the policy ana...