Contested Federalism: Certainty and Ambiguity in the Canadian Federation [Paperback]

The most comprehensive and critical look at Canadian federalism

This restructured and thoroughly updated exploration of Canadian federalism explores the tensions and conflicts within Canada's governance system and the adaptations required for federalism to work. Focusing on three areas - basic federal and intergovernmental structure; the constitutional and institutional framework of the federation; and federal governance - this text is an engaging and balanced treatment of federalism in Canada.

Note:Each chapter includes:
- Learning Objectives
- Summary (all chapters except Conclusion)
- Questions for Critical Thought
- Notes
- References
Introduction
1. Understanding Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
- The Origins of Federalism
- Institutional and Societal Views of Federalism
- The Institutions of Federalism
- Executive Federalism
- Competing Canadian Conceptions of Federalism
- Comparative Federalism and Multilevel-Governance
- Why Study Federalism?
2. The Economic, Social, and Institutional Bases of Canadian Federalism
- Origins
- Economy and Geography
- Two Special Cases of Diversity and Asymmetry: Quebec and Indigenous Peoples
3. The Constitution and Constitutional Change
- Canada's Constitutional Development
- Confederation and the British North America Act, 1867
- Constitutional Change
- Post-Charlottetown Constitutional Politics
4. Judicial Review and Dispute Resolution
- Judicial Review and the Division of Powers
- Dispute Resolution
5. Executive Federalism: Back to the Future?
- Introduction
- Why Executive Federalism?
- The Settings of Executive Federalism
- Multilateralism, Bilateralism, and Unilateralism
- First Ministers' Conferences and First Ministers' Meetings (FMCs/FMMs)
- Premiers and the Council of the Federat