Money, Politics, and Democracy
Money, Politics, and Democracy
Canada’s Party Finance Reforms
In 2004, Jean Chrétien’s Liberals banned corporations andunions from funding political parties. In 2008, opposition leaders wereprepared to defeat the Conservative government over its proposal toeliminate public subsidies to political parties.
In Money, Politics, and Democracy, Lisa Young and HaroldJansen lead a distinguished group of political scientists in exploringthe issues that led to the dramatic showdown. Are publicly fundedparties compatible with the basic tenets of democracy? What effect haveparty finance reforms had on the balance of power between parties anddonors, on the relationship between national parties and localorganizations, on electoral competition? This timely volume revealsthat the financial centre of gravity for political parties is shiftingbetween national and local organizations as individual donors replaceunions and corporations. To ensure their financial survival, partiesmust now maximize their numbers of seats and votes.
The first comprehensive study of modern campaign finance reforms inCanada, Money, Politics, and Democracy suggests that campaignfinance reforms have shaped party organization and electoralcompetition, contributing to successive minority governments.
This book will be of interest to students and scholars of elections and
party politics, as well as to policy-makers and journalists looking for
background information on the role of money in politics.
This timely volume, authored by a distinguished group of Canadian, British, and American scholars, offers interesting perspectives on the political finance reforms started in 2003. It is vital for scholars to investigate the impact of these reforms, which constitute a potentially major shift in relations between parties and big donors, and between different levels of party organizations.
Election finance regimes are an increasingly important factor shaping parties and party competition, but because the changes are relatively recent, there has been little literature on their impact. This volume establishes a baseline for future research. It will be very useful for students of parties and elections, journalists, and policy-makers who draft election finance legislation.
Lisa Young is a professor of political science atthe University of Calgary. Harold J. Jansen is anassociate professor of political science at the University ofLethbridge.
Contributors: André Blais, Robert G. Boatright,David Coletto, William Cross, John Crysler, Munroe Eagles, JustinFisher, Richard S. Katz, Peter John Loewen, F. Leslie Seidle
1 Reforming Party and Election Finance in Canada / Lisa Youngand Harold J. Jansen
2 State Funding of Political Parties: Truths, Myths, and Legends /Justin Fisher
3 Public Funding of Political Parties: The Case for Further Reform /F. Leslie Seidle
4 Finance Reform and the Cartel Party Model in Canada / RichardS. Katz
5 Cartels, Syndicates, and Coalitions: Canada’s PoliticalParties after the 2004 Reforms / Harold J. Jansen and LisaYoung
6 The Impact of Election Finance Reforms on Local Party Organization/ David Coletto and Munroe Eagles
7 The Quarterly Allowance and Turnout: Old and New Evidence /Peter John Loewen and André Blais
8 Financing Party Leadership Campaigns / William Cross and JohnCrysler
9 Lessons from the American Campaign Finance Reform Experience /Robert G. Boatright
10 Conclusion / Harold J. Jansen and Lisa Young
Index
