Politics, Policy, and Government in British Columbia

by Carty, R. K.

• ISBN13: 9780774805827
• ISBN10: 077480582X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-08-01
• Publisher: Univ of British Columbia Pr

Summary

Politics, Policy, and Government in British Columbia examines the political life of Canada's dynamic Pacific province. Each of the seventeen chapters, written by well-known experts, provides an up-to-date portrait and analysis of one of the many faces of BC politics. Taken together they provide a clear and comprehensive overview of the dominant themes and issues that have been the distinguishing features of the province's political life.
Key elements of the book include sections on the political setting, with discussion of BC's political culture and economy, and its relations with the rest of Canada and its own Native communities; BC-style politics, which focus on electoral and parliamentary party politics, the changing place of women in BC public life, and the critical role of the media in explaining it all to British Columbians; governing the Province, with accounts of the premier and cabinet, the bureaucracy that delivers most government services, and the complex system - from the police to the courts - that provides the administration of justice and the role of law; and contemporary policy issues, with clear explanations of the intricacies of fiscal and social policy, analyses of recent conflicts over forest policy and environmental protection, a discussion of the role of lobbyists, and an examination of what difference is made when NDP governments are elected.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Value Conflicts in Lotusland: British Columbia Political Culture	p. 3
From Timber to Tourism: The Political Economy of British Columbia	p. 18
British Columbia: 'The Spoilt Child of Confederation'	p. 32
Aboriginal Peoples and Aboriginal Title in British Columbia Politics	p. 45
The Politics of Polarization: Parties and Elections in British Columbia	p. 67
The British Columbia Legislature and Parliamentary Framework	p. 85
Women and Political Representation in British Columbia	p. 103
The Media and British Columbia Politics	p. 123
The Government of the Day: The Premier and Cabinet in British Columbia	p. 143
Provincial Governance and the Public Service: Bureaucratic Transitions and Change	p. 163
Administering Justice	p. 174
Lobbying and Private Interests in British Columbia Politics	p. 201
Public Finance and Fiscal Policy in British Columbia	p. 217
At the Edge of Canada's Welfare State: Social Policy-Making in British Columbia	p. 236
The Politics of Sustainability: Forest Policy in British Columbia	p. 272
Environmental Protection in British Columbia: Postmaterial Values, Organized Interests, and Party Politics	p. 290
The British Columbia New Democratic Party: Does It Make a Difference?	p. 310
Appendixes	p. 339
Notes	p. 347
Contributors	p. 373
Index	p. 375
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