Constitutional Politics in Canada after the Charter: Liberalism, Communitarianism, and Systemism (Law and Society) [Paperback] James, Patrick

Book Description By adding clarity to debates on constitutional politics after the Charter, this book sharpens our vision not only of the past but also the future of Canada. Product Description Since the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was introduced, Canada has experienced more than twenty-five years of constitutional politics and countless debates about the future of Canada. There has, however, been no systematic attempt to identify general theories about Canada's constitutional evolution. Patrick James corrects this oversight. By adding clarity to familiar debates, this succinct assessment of major writings on constitutional politics sharpens our vision of the past – and the future – of the Canadian federation. Review Patrick James provides a highly intelligent and balanced synthesis of twenty-five years of constitutional politics literature in Canada ... He also develops an innovative theoretical approach (systemism) to evaluate competing constitutional theories and to test the theoretical significance of competing constitutional approaches. Simply put, as an exercise in theory building, testing, and evaluation, this book makes a unique contribution to the state of Canadian politics and constitutional studies. -- James Kelly, author of Governing with the Charter: Legislative and Judicial Activism and Framers' Intent and co-editor of Contested Constitutionalism: Reflections on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms About the Author Patrick James is a professor of international relations and director of the Center for International Studies at the University of Southern California.