1. Does Size Matter?: International Policy and Minority Governments.
- Author
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Hogg, William
- Subjects
- *
POLICY sciences , *DECISION making , *INTERNATIONAL relations , *BUDGET laws ,CANADIAN prime ministers ,CANADIAN politics & government - Abstract
In June of 2004, Prime Minister Paul Martin was returned to Parliament with a minority government. In order to survive, his Liberals would have to rely on the support of their political rivals. This reliance on rival support should have a modifying impact on the formation of the government?s policy agenda, on policy-making, and on decisions taken. International policy seems to be case in point. The first piece of legislation to fall under Martin?s new government dealt with the separation of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. There was a distinctly conservative bent to the April 2005 International Policy and Defence Policy Statements. The Layton-Martin budgetary pact had an impact on Canada?s Official Development Assistance envelope. This is not the first time a Canadian prime minister has faced the challenge of managing a minority government while acting abroad. John Diefenbaker (1957-1958 and 1962-1963), Lester B. Pearson (1963-1965 and 1966-1968), Pierre Elliot Trudeau (1972-1974) and Joe Clark (1979-1980) all carried pluralities short of majorities in the House of Commons. This paper examines the degree to which minority governments have had effects on the formation of international policy (defence, diplomacy, development and commerce) by examining spending patterns, policy statements and policy outcomes from these six periods. It is argued that, while minority governments cause short term fluctuations in funding and outputs, they do not differ greatly from longer term patterns in Canada?s international policies. One has to look elsewhere to explain foreign and defence policy change. This paper will also offer a brief comparative overview of other developed democracies and the effects of parliamentary structure on foreign and defence policy. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006