Backrooms and beyond : partisan advisers and the politics of policy work in Canada / Jonathan Craft.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Craft, Jonathan, 1980- author.

Series:

Institute of Public Administration of Canada series in public management and governance

The Institute of Public Administration of Canada series in public management and governance

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Policy sciences--Canada--Case studies.

Policy sciences.

Political planning--Canada--Case studies.

Political planning.

Political consultants--Canada--Case studies.

Political consultants.

Politics and government.

Canada--Politics and government--Case studies.

Canada.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xvi, 304 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Toronto ; Buffalo ; London : University of Toronto Press, [2016]

Summary:

"Though they serve in many roles and under many titles, no one doubts that political staffs now wield substantial influence in the making of government policy. Backrooms and Beyond draws on interviews with ministers, senior public servants, and political advisers to offer the first detailed Canadian treatment of how that influence is gained and exercised in the policy making process. A comparative analysis of case studies from three Canadian jurisdictions, including the federal Prime Minister's Office, two premier's offices, and ministers' offices, the book presents a detailed account of partisan advisers' involvement in policy work and a new theoretical framework for understanding this work and its impact. As Jonathan Craft shows, partisan advisers often engage in policy work with public servants, outside stakeholders, and often in types of policy work that public servants cannot. Backrooms and Beyond is a rich and rigorous look at an important aspect of contemporary Canadian politics, essential reading for scholars and practitioners, journalists, students of the Westminster system from around the world, and those wanting to understand just how policy is made today."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

1 A "No Surprises" Environment 24

Introduction 24

Buffers and Bridges, Movers and Shapers: A Framework for the Study of Partisan Advisers' Policy Work 25

Buffers and Bridges: Partisan Advisers' Policy Advisory Activity 32

Movers and Shapers: Partisan Advisers' Policy Formulation Activity 37

Studying Federal and Provincial Partisan Advisers 40

2 Institutionalization, Expansion, and Specialization 44

Introduction 44

Partisan Advisers in Ottawa 45

Harper-Era Advisers in Ottawa 57

British Columbia 60

Campbell-Era Partisan Advisers in British Columbia, 2001-9 63

New Brunswick 67

Conclusion 70

3 Buffers and Bridges at the "Centre" 71

Introduction 71

First Ministers' Office Partisan Advisers' Buffering 72

PMO Buffering 72

Buffering from the West Annex 80

Buffering from the "Centre" in New Brunswick 84

First Ministers' Office Bridging Activities 86

Prime Minister's Office Bridging 86

First Ministers' Office Bridging in British Columbia 92

First Ministers' Office Bridging in New Brunswick 96

Conclusion 101

4 Movers and Shapers at the "Centre" 104

Introduction 104

Procedural Formulation Activity in First Ministers' Offices 106

PMO Policy Movers 106

Moving at (and around) the Centre in British Columbia 116

Moving at the Centre in New Brunswick 119

First Ministers' Office "Shaping" 123

PMO Shapers 123

First Ministers' Office Shaping in British Columbia 130

First Ministers' Office Shaping in New Brunswick 136

Conclusion 141

5 He Said / She Said: Ministers' Office Buffers and Bridges 145

Introduction 145

Ministerial Office Buffering 146

Buffering at the Federal Ministers' Office Level 146

Ministerial Partisan Advisers' Buffering in BC 154

Ministers' Office Buffering in New Brunswick 159

Ministers' Office Bridging 162

Federal Ministers' Office Partisan Advisory Bridging 162

BC Ministers' Office Partisan Advisers' Bridging 169

Ministers' Office Bridging in New Brunswick 174

Conclusion 177

6 Movers and Shapers Down the Line 183

Introduction 183

Procedural Policy Work and Ministers' Offices 185

Federal Ministers' Office "Moving" 185

Ministers' Office "Moving" in BC 196

Ministers' Office "Moving" in New Brunswick 203

Ministerial "Shaping" 207

Federal Ministers' Offices' Substantive "Shaping" 207

BC Ministers' Office "Shaping" 214

New Brunswick Ministers' Office "Shaping" 218

Conclusion 220

7 Conclusion: Core Executives, Partisan Advisers, and the Politics of Policy Work in Canada 224

Introduction 224

Canadian Partisan Advisers and Advisory System Participation 226

The Federal Dynamic Advisory System Configuration: Comprehensive-Differentiated and Layered-Dispersed 229

BC: Limited-Dispersed and Integrated Advisory System Configuration 232

New Brunswick Dynamic Advisory System: Limited-Dispersed and Centralized-Integrated Configuration 234

Canadian Partisan Advisers as Formulation Participants 238

Process Dimensions of Partisan Advisers' Formulation Activity 238

"Shaping": Beyond Determinations of Political Feasibility 241

Partisan Advisers, Core Executive Operation, and the Politics of Policy Work 243

Conclusion 250.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-293) and index.

ISBN:

9781442648760

1442648767

9781442626355

1442626356

OCLC:

921863803