Group Politics and Public Policy Pross, A.Paul

Product Description Canadian politics has been fundamentally changed by the growing influence of pressure groups. Their expanded role in shaping public policy is feared by some as a threat to political parties. Others welcome pressure groups as the most effective means of communicating with political leaders and government officials. All agree, though, that with the mass media, pressure groups have opened significant issues to major public debate. Women's issues, environmental concerns, language rights, free trade, and many other topics have been widely debated as the result of the intervention of pressure groups. Since its first publication in 1986, this book has been accepted as the major study of the full range of Canadian pressure groups and the part they play in making public policy. It addresses such important questions as: What are pressure groups? Why have they acquired so much influence? Do we really need them? And if so, why? What dangers do they pose for Canadian democracy? How can they be safely absorbed into our political system? The text argues that pressure groups are essential in any modern state and that they have enhanced, not undermined, Canadian democracy. This second edition addresses these questions in light of the rapid development of Canadian pressure group behaviour since the mid-1980s. Among the most important changes that are discussed are groups' intervention in constitutional politics; their growing use of the courts; their participation in election advertising; and the impact of international lobbying. Government concern over the public funding of groups is reviewed, as is the implementation of the federal government's Lobbyists' Registration Act. This book also offers an historical survey and framework - including a new approach to the classification of groups - that can be used to illuminate today's trends and evaluate measures designed to harness their political power. From the Publisher tables, charts About the Author A. Paul Pross, Professor, School of Public Administration, Dalhousie University.