Shining a light on our democratic institutions
As Canada Research Chair in Public Administration and Governance, Donald Savoie will shed light on one of the most important issues facing representative democracy in Canada and around the world: the changing relationship between citizens and their elected representatives; between elected politicians and career public servants; between governments; and between government agencies.
He will explore these relationships through a series of complementary research projects. His main focus will be taking stock of Canadian democracy. By analyzing history and the work of leading students of democracy in Canada, Savoie will examine how political parties have evolved in recent years, how the media have changed of in this new age of social media, and how bureaucracy operates.
Savoie will also assess who today’s elites are, as well as where political and economic power resides. He will examine globalization, an increasingly activist judiciary and increasing incessant calls on governments for greater transparency.
Savoie sees Canadian democracy is path dependent, and that historical institutionalism accounts for much of Canada’s political conflicts as well as incremental changes in policy.
A second project will look at the work of presidents and prime ministers and their central agencies in several countries (Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, India, Sweden and Brazil). This comparative perspective will enable policy-makers to draw lessons learned and best practices that may well apply in several jurisdictions.
All of Savoie’s work is designed to put a spotlight on the workings of political and administrative institutions.