Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-02T21:50:10.907Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Political Economy of Open Federalism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2007

Adam Harmes
Adam Harmes
Affiliation:
University of Western Ontario
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Abstract. This article examines the federal Conservative party's notion of “open federalism” from a political economy perspective. In doing so, it argues that open federalism will appeal to business interests and not to unions and social activists, because it is consistent with the neoliberal approach to federalism which seeks to lock in free market-oriented policies. To demonstrate this point, the article draws on the work of neoliberal intellectuals—including Nobel laureates Friedrich von Hayek, Milton Friedman and James Buchanan—on “market-preserving federalism” and compares it with the key principles of open federalism and those advocated by business lobby groups and think tanks.

Résumé. Cet article examine la notion de “ fédéralisme ouvert ” adoptée par le Parti conservateur fédéral dans une perspective d'économie politique. Il avance que le fédéralisme ouvert plaira au milieu des affaires et déplaira aux syndicats et aux militants sociaux parce qu'il concorde avec la conception néolibérale du fédéralisme qui vise à instituer des politiques compatibles avec l'économie de marché. La démonstration s'appuie sur les travaux de penseurs néolibéraux—notamment les lauréats du prix Nobel, Friedrich von Hayek, Milton Friedman et James Buchanan—sur le concept d'un fédéralisme qui préserve le marché (market-preserving federalism) et compare ce concept aux principes de base du fédéralisme ouvert et à ceux que prônent les groupes de pression et les analystes du milieu des affaires.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , June 2007 , pp. 417 - 437
Copyright
© 2007 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Enterprise Institute. 2000. “The AEI Federalism Project.” Washington, DC: AEI. www.federalismproject.org.
Banting, Keith. 1987. The Welfare State and Canadian Federalism. Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press.
Boadway, Robin. 1991. “Constitutional Design in a Federation: An Economist's Perspective.” In Options for a New Canada, ed. Ronald Watts and Douglas Brown. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Boadway, Robin. 1992. The Constitutional Division of Powers: An Economic Perspective. Ottawa: Economic Council of Canada.
Boadway, Robin. 2000. “Recent Developments in the Economics of Federalism.” In Canada: The State of the Federation 1999/2000, ed. H. Lazar. Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press.
Buchanan, James. 1995. “Federalism as an Ideal Political Order and an Object for Constitutional Reform.” Publius: The Journal of Federalism 25(2): 1–9.Google Scholar
Business Council on National Issues. 1990a. “Business Leaders Applaud Meech Lake Accord Consensus and Urge Rapid Ratification by Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland.” Communique. Ottawa: BCNI, June 11.
Business Council on National Issues. 1990b. “Business Leaders Launch Study of Canada's Post-Meech Constitutional Options.” Release. Ottawa: BCNI, September 5.
Business Council on National Issues. 1991. “Canada and the 21st Century: Towards a More Effective Federalism and a Stronger Economy.” A Statement of the Members of the Business Council on National Issues. Ottawa: BCNI, April 26.
Business Council on National Issues. 1992a. “Canada's Constitutional Future”. A Response by the Business Council on National Issues to the Government of Canada's Proposals “Shaping Canada's Future Together.” Ottawa: BCNI, January 22.
Business Council on National Issues. 1992b. “Yes.” Business Council on National Issues Response to the National Referendum Question. Ottawa: BCNI, September 18.
Business Council on National Issues. 1992c. “Canadian Business Leaders Respond to Constitutional Referendum Outcome.” Communique. Ottawa: BCNI, October 26.
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. 1991. Briefing Notes on the Tory Constitutional Proposals. Ottawa: CCPA, September 30.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce. 1996. The Agreement on Internal Trade and Inter-provincial Trade Flows: Building a strong united Canada. Toronto: Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce. 2004. Obstacles to Free Trade in Canada: A Study on Internal Trade Barriers. Toronto: Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Canadian Council of Chief Executives. 2006. From Bronze to Gold: A Blueprint for Canadian Leadership in a Transforming World. Ottawa: CCCE, February.
Carroll, William and Murray Shaw. 2001. “Consolidating a Neoliberal Policy Bloc in Canada, 1976 to 1996.” Canadian Public Policy XXVII(2): 195–217.Google Scholar
Conservative Party of Canada. 2005a. Policy Declaration. http://www.conservative.ca/.
Conservative Party of Canada. 2005b. Stand Up For Canada. Federal Election Platform 2006. 〈http://www.conservative.ca/〉.
Conservative Party of Canada. 2005c. For Real Change: The Conservative Party of Canada's Commitment to Quebecers. Federal Election Quebec Platform 2006. 〈http://www.conservative.ca/〉.
Council of Canadians. 1999. “Power Game: Five Problems With the Current Social Union Talks.” Ottawa: Council of Canadians.
Courchene, Thomas. 1988. “Meech Lake and Socio-Economic Policy.” Canadian Public Policy. XIV: S63–80.Google Scholar
Coyne, Deborah. 1989. “The Meech Lake Accord and the Spending Power Proposals: Fundamentally Flawed.” In The Meech Lake Primer: Conflicting Views of the 1987 Constitutional Accord, ed. M. Behiels. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press.
Day, Shelagh. 2006. “Empower the People, Not the Provinces.” Canadian Dimension 40(3): 18–19.Google Scholar
D'Cruz, Joseph. 1992. Interprovincial Trade Barriers and Canadian Competitiveness: Report on a Survey by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Canadian Chamber of Commerce. November 1992.
Doern, G. Bruce and Mark MacDonald. 1999. Free-Trade Federalism: Negotiating the Canadian Agreement on Internal Trade. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Flanagan, Tom. 2006. “Mr. Harper's road map to power.” Globe and Mail. May 23: A15.
Fraser Institute. 1978. Canadian Confederation at the Crossroads: The search for a federal-provincial balance. Vancouver: The Fraser Institute.
Friedman, Milton. 1962. Capitalism and Freedom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Government of Canada. 2006. Focusing on Priorities: Restoring Fiscal Balance in Canada. Discussion Paper. Ottawa: Department of Finance.
Greve, Michael. 2000. “The AEI Federalism Project.” Federalist Outlook, June 1, 2000. 〈http://www.aei.org/publications〉.
Harmes, Adam. 2006. “Neoliberalism and Multilevel Governance.” Review of International Political Economy 13(5): 725–749.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harper, Stephen. 1996. Speech to “Winds of Change” Conference. Calgary, May 26, 1996.
Harper, Stephen. 2004. “My plan for ‘open federalism.’” National Post. October 27, 2004.
Harper, Stephen. 2005. “Harper Announces Conservative Platform for Quebec.” Address to the Quebec City Chamber of Commerce. Quebec City: December 19. 〈http://www.conservative.ca/.〉.
Harper, Stephen. 2006. “Prime Minister Harper outlines his government's priorities and open federalism approach.” Address to the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. 〈http://www.conservative.ca/〉.
Hayek, Friedrich von. 1939. “The Economic Conditions of Inter-State Federalism.” Reprinted in Individualism and the Economic Order, Friedrich von Hayek. 1948. chap. 12. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Hayek, Friedrich von. 1960. The Constitution of Liberty. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Ibbitson, John. 2006. “Judicial reform: It's the newest ‘liberal’ initiative.” Globe and Mail. February 21: A7.
Knox, Robert. 2001. “The Forgotten Trade Agreement: Should We Care about Canada's Agreement on Internal Trade?” Fraser Forum. June.
Lazar, Harvey. 2000. “The Social Union Framework Agreement: Lost Opportunity or New Beginning?” Working Paper 3. Kingston: Queen's University School of Policy Studies.
Lee, Marc. 2000. In Search of a Problem: The Future of the Agreement on Internal Trade and Canadian Federalism. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Lee, Marc. 2006. Tax Cuts and the Fiscal Imbalance. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Levy, David and Aseem Prakash. 2003. “Bargains Old and New: Multinational Corporations and Global Governance.” Business and Politics 5(2): 131–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacDonald, L. Ian. 2006. “A Conversation with the Prime Minister.” Policy Options 27(3): 5–8.Google Scholar
McBride, Stephen. 1993. “Renewed Federalism as an Instrument of Competitiveness: Liberal Political Economy and the Canadian Constitution.” International Journal of Canadian Studies 7–8: 187–204.Google Scholar
McBride, Stephen and John Shields. 1997. Dismantling a Nation: The Transition to Corporate Rule in Canada. 2nd ed. Halifax: Fernwood Publishing.
Palda, Filip. 1994a. “February's Solution: How to Get Effective Government.” Fraser Forum. February 1994.
Palda, Filip, ed. 1994b. Provincial Trade Wars: Why the Blockade Must End. Vancouver: The Fraser Institute.
Richards, John. 2002. “The Paradox of the Social Union Framework Agreement.” Backgrounder no. 59. Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute.
Robson, William. 1992. Dynamic Tensions: Markets, Federalism, and Canada's Economic Future. Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute.
Robson, William and Finn Poschmann. 2001. “Interprovincial Fiscal Competition in Canada: Theory, Facts and Options.” Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute, October 11.
Rodden, Jonathan. 2003. “Reviving Leviathan: Fiscal Federalism and the Growth of Government.” International Organization 57: 695–729.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwanen, Daniel. 1996. Drawing on Our Inner Strength: Canada's Economic Citizenship in an Era of Evolving Federalism. C.D. Howe Institute Commentary. Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute.
Schwanen, Daniel. 1999. “More than the Sum of Our Parts: Improving the Mechanisms of Canada's Social Union.” C.D. Howe Institute Commentary. Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute.
Schwartz, Bryan. 1988. “Fear and Loathing on the Constitutional Agenda: Meech Lake, Free Trade and the Future of Politics in Canada.” In Re-Forming Canada? The Meaning of the Meech Lake Accord and the Free Trade Agreement for the Canadian State, ed. J. Whyte and I. Peach. Kingston: Institute of Intergovernmental Relations.
Sinclair, Scott. 1994. Shifting Powers, Depressing Standards: An Analysis of the Internal Trade Agreement. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Spector, Norman. 2006. “There's a flaw in Mr. Harper's plan for Canada.” Globe and Mail. May 15, 2006: A13.
Tullock, Gordon. 1994. The New Federalist. Vancouver: The Fraser Institute.
Walker, Michael. 1992. “Constitutional Essentials: Popular Sovereignty, Property Rights, Tax and Deficit Limitations, and Individual Liberty.” In Federalism in Peril: National Unity, Individualism, Free Markets, and the Emerging Global Economy, ed. A.R. Riggs and Tom Velk. Vancouver: The Fraser Institute.
Watts, Ronald and Douglas Brown, eds. 1991. Options for a New Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Weingast, Barry. 1995. “The Economic Role of Political Institutions: Market-Preserving Federalism and Economic Development.” Journal of Law, Economics, & Organization 11(1): 1–31.Google Scholar
Young, Robert. 2006. “Open Federalism and Canadian Municipalities.” Briefing Note. Kingston: Queen's University Institute for Intergovernmental Relations.