Canada's time-honoured system of responsible government is failing us. This principle, by which the executive must be accountable to the people's elected representatives, was fought for and won over 160 years ago, but we now see that achievement slipping away. Our constitution and its unwritten conventions no longer provide effective constraints on a prime minister's power. The result: a dysfunctional system, in which the Canadian constitution has degenerated into whatever the prime minister decides it is, and a parliament that is effectively controlled by the prime minister, instead of the other way around.

This timely book examines recent history and ongoing controversies as it makes the case for restoring power to where it belongs — with the people's elected representatives in parliament.

This book has been designed to meet the needs of courses on Canadian politics, as it gives special attention to explaining the institutions and concepts involved, as well as the fascinating history that has led to present day conflicts over our constitutional state of affairs. Its offering of proposals to address the problems it outlines will also make it a must-read for political observers and interested citizens across the country.

Chapter 1: Introduction: A Fundamental Democratic Problem
Chapter 2: Responsible Government: Theory and Practice
Chapter 3: When Conventions Fail: Governance without Clear Rules
Chapter 4: Prime Minister and House of Commons: The Democracy Deficit
Chapter 5: Letting the People Decide: When Elections Aren’t Enough
Chapter 6: Conclusion: Reforming Responsible Government

Index

Chapter 1  Introduction: A Fundamental Democratic Problem

"What will it take to rouse Canadians to the defense of our democracy? This book makes a powerful start. Measured in tone, yet relentless in its accumulation of fact and argument, it presents not only an irrefutable case that our political system is broken, but a practical series of reforms to restore it to working order. I hope everyone who cares about the decline of Parliament reads it, but more, I hope it provokes them to do something about it." — Andrew Coyne, Maclean's Magazine

"A concise and readable account of how responsible government in Ottawa has been turned on its head, and how some key unwritten elements of our parliamentary democracy have been manipulated. It also shows how a very few modest, written rules could help restore the balance." — Senator Lowell Murray

"An essential read. … This very engaging book provides forceful, thought-provoking arguments about the challenges and abuses facing Canada's system of government from an ever-more powerful political executive. The threats and a range of possible solutions are clearly spelled out, showing what is wrong and how it might be fixed." — Andrew Heard, Simon Fraser University