This research program focusesed on the evolution of the Canadian federation as a political system and as a community that seeks to accommodate various forms of diversity. It explored intergovernmental relations and federal institutions, innovations in Indigenous governance, and the role that shared values and identities play in the development of public policy and the country’s cohesion.

The research agenda focused on the following themes:

• Intergovernmental institutions, processes and agreements
• Financing the federation
• Public policy innovation and emulation among provinces
• Developments in Indigenous governance and in the relationships between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous governments
• Changing governance in Canada’s North
• Cities within the federal framework
• Quebec’s place within Canada
• Federal institutions and representation
• Identities and values

Previous research

• Universal pharmacare and federalism
• The role of the provinces in international trade policy
• Provincial parental leave benefits in the context of Canadian federalism
• Tripartite policy-making for Canada’s cities
• Intergovernmental policy-making and the financing of Indigenous governments
• Indigenous self-determination in Northern Canada and Norway
• Renewal of the Canadian Senate

This research is now being carried out by the IRPP’s Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation.