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Strengthening Canadian Democracy

This research program explored some of the democratic lacunae in Canada’s political system and proposed ways that the legitimacy of our system of government can be strengthened. Completed in 2006, the research covered most major aspects of Canada’s democratic institutions and its electoral and party systems.

Latest Research

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The Future of Leaders’ Debates in Canadian Federal Elections
Colloquium Report
(March 16, 2016)
Making Better Use of Science and Technology in Policy-Making
Round Table Report
(March 8, 2016)
Issues Arising from Improper Communications with Electors
Graham Fox (March 15, 2013)
Ontario’s Referendum on Proportional Representation
Why Citizens Said No
Laura B. Stephenson and Brian Tanguay (September 23, 2009)
Prudent Budgeting and Budgetary Process Effectiveness in Canada’s Federal Government
Mike Joyce (June 18, 2009)
E-Consultation
Enabling Democracy between Elections
Joseph Peters and Manon Abud, with commentaries by Kathleen McNutt and Colin McKay (January 8, 2009)
La montĂ©e des tiers partis au QuĂ©bec Ă  l’Ă©lection de 2007
Conjoncture ou tendance ?
Éric Bélanger et Richard Nadeau (November 25, 2008)
Restructuring the Canadian Senate through Elections
Bruce M. Hicks and André Blais (November 6, 2008)
Political Legitimacy for an Appointed Senate
Campbell Sharman (September 23, 2008)
The Paradox of Compulsory Voting
Participation Does Not Equal Political Knowledge
Henry Milner, Peter John Loewen and Bruce M. Hicks (November 27, 2007)
Political Knowledge and Participation Among Young Canadians and Americans
Henry Milner (November 15, 2007)
Is Every Ballot Equal?
Visible-Minority Vote Dilution in Canada
Michael Pal and Sujit Choudhry (January 18, 2007)
Are Marginalized Communities Disenfranchised?
Voter Turnout and Representation in Post-merger Toronto
Bruce M. Hicks (November 9, 2006)
The Intersection of Governance and Citizenship in Canada
Not Quite the Third Way
Susan D. Phillips (August 31, 2006)
The Shifting Place of Political Parties in Canadian Public Life
R. Kenneth Carty (June 13, 2006)
Are Canadian Political Parties Empty Vessels?
Membership, Engagement and Policy Capacity
William Cross and Lisa Young (June 13, 2006)
Jumping into the Political Fray
Academics and Policy-Making
Daniel Cohn (May 1, 2006)
Strengthening Canadian Democracy
The Views of Parliamentary Candidates
Jerome H. Black and Bruce M. Hicks (March 14, 2006)
Fixing Canada’s Unfixed Election Dates
A Political Season to Reduce the Democratic Deficit
Henry Milner (December 7, 2005)
Are Young Canadians Becoming Political Dropouts?
A Comparative Perspective
Henry Milner (June 13, 2005)
Addressing the Accountability Deficit
Why Paul Martin's Minority Government Must Pay More Attention to the Three A's
Thomas S. Axworthy (October 25, 2004)
First Past the Post?
Progress Report on Electoral Reform Initiatives in Canadian Provinces
Henry Milner (September 9, 2004)
The Charter of Rights and Party Politics
The Impact of the Supreme Court Ruling in Figueroa v. Canada (Attorney General)
Heather MacIvor (May 4, 2004)
From Enumeration to the National Register of Electors
An Account and an Evaluation
Jerome H. Black (August 21, 2003)
From Skepticism to Cynicism
Paradoxes of Administrative Reform
Isabelle Fortier (August 12, 2003)
From Cynicism to Organizational Disillusion
New Public Management as Confusion Factor
Christian Rouillard (August 12, 2003)
Canada’s Democratic Malaise
Are the Media to Blame?
Richard Nadeau and Thierry Giasson (February 15, 2003)
Parliament’s Performance in the Budget Process
A Case Study
Peter Dobell and Martin Ulrich (May 14, 2002)
Generational Patterns in the Political Opinions and Behaviour of Canadians
Separating the Wheat from the Chaff
Brenda O'Neill (October 24, 2001)
Parliamentary Secretaries
The Consequences of Constant Rotation
Peter Dobell (September 19, 2001)
Civic Literacy in Comparative Context
Why Canadians Should Be Concerned
Henry Milner (July 1, 2001)
Introducing Direct Democracy in Canada
Matthew Mendelsohn and Andrew Parkin (June 1, 2001)
Electoral Democracy in the Provinces
Donald E. Black (April 1, 2001)
Changing the Canadian Electoral System
Louis Massicotte (February 1, 2001)
Reforming Parliamentary Practice: The Views of MPs
Peter Dobell (December 11, 2000)
The National Register of Electors
Raising Questions About the New Approach to Voter Registration in Canada
Jerome H. Black (December 1, 2000)
What Could Canadians Expect from a Minority Government?
Peter Dobell (November 1, 2000)
Canadian Elections at the Millenium
Richard Johnston (September 1, 2000)
Changing Dynamics in Election Campaign Finance: Critical Issues in Canada and the United States
Jennifer Smith, Herman Bakvis (July 1, 2000)
Strengthening Canadian Democracy: The Views of Canadians
Paul Howe, David Northup (July 1, 2000)

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