Critical Response Papers (1)
.pdf
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Wilfrid Laurier University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
101
Subject
Political Science
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
Pages
4
Uploaded by DrGoatPerson1020
Reading Questions
Who is Donald Savoie, and why does he seem to be important to the study
of politics and government in Canada?
-
Holds the canada research chair in public administration and gov. At Universite
de moncton.
-
He is a famous political scientist, and his influence on canadian public policy,
canadian public administration and canadian society has been evidence for years
-
His work shed light on the transformation of the Canadian political landscape
According to Savoie, how has power shifted over time within the Canadian
parliamentary system – from where/whom and to where/whom – and why
does he think that this is a problem?
-"2 In this article, I argue that Cabinet has
joined Parliament as an institution being bypassed, that it is clear that
effective power no longer resides with the prime minister acting in con-cert
with his "elected Cabinet colleagues."3 Court government has taken root
in Canada. By this I mean that in the late 1990s, effective power rests with
the prime minister and a small group of carefully selected courtie”
-
Power has become more centralized around the P.M office, and a small group of
advisors at the expense of trade. Cabinet and parliamentary processes
-
From cabinet to P.M: powers dispersed within cabinet, then individual ministers
have more authority. Power has now shifted away from collective decision
makings
-
From elected representatives to unelected advisors there has been a shift from
them and their constituents to unelected advisors in the P.Ms offcie
-
Savoie views it as a problem because of reduced cabinet influence, and
Weekend cabinet influence
-
Reduced role of parliment
For Savoie, what is “Court Government” and how is it related to
Parliamentary Government, Cabinet Government (collective responsibility)
and Responsible Government?
-
Relation to Parliamentary government is a system where the executive branch is
drawn from the legislative branch and is responsible for it
-
Relation to Cabinet government (collective responsibility) is thay court
government weakens the concept of collective responsibility by focusing power in
the hands of the P.M
-
Relation to Responsible Gov. refers to the principle that the executive is
responsible and accountable to the legislature
For Savoie, what are the roles of cabinet and cabinet ministers under Court
Government?
-
He argues that the roles of the cabinet and cabinet ministers have evolved and
been significantly decreased
-
Cabinet ministers have become less influential and more constrained in their
traditional roles with decision making authority concentrated within the P.Ms
office
What are “the central forces,” changes to “the machinery of government,”
and actors that Savoie thinks have bolstered or even augmented Court
Government, and how have they done so? [there are about a half dozen of
them that he reviews]
-
This article identifies the central forces that have driven the devel-
-
opment of court government and discusses its operation. It outlines
-
instruments of government and policy tools which facilitate governing
-
from the center. It concludes with a review of the implications court
-
government holds for the public service and for Canadian
-
-
Donald identifies several central forces to change the machinery of the
government and key actors that argued court government in canada:
-
Centralization of power is the increase of centralization of power within the
P.Ms office, the office has become the core of decision making.
-
Influence of other interest groups, specifically the ones with strong
connections to the government can be partisan and influence on policy
and decisions potentially further centralize power and affect the machinery
of government.
In the Canadian system, what are the powers associated with the position
of prime minister that Savoie identifies, and what are the sources of such
power?
-
Donald identifies several powers associated within the position of P.M like the
influence over policy and decision making the P.M role in shaping the gov. Policy
and decisions
This power comes from the P.M ability to set the policy agenda and establish priorities
What forces does Savoie suggest can still “inhibit prime ministerial power”
and how do they do so?
-
He suggest that several forces serve as checks and balances within the
Canadian political system, the media is a main restrain by publicly scrutinizing
their actions and decisions
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help