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Deep Federalism: Respecting Community Difference in National Policy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2006

Christopher Leo
Christopher Leo
Affiliation:
University of Winnipeg
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Abstract

Abstract. The literatures of both federalism and urban politics conclude that economic, technological and political changes on a global scale have produced limitations on the capacities of national governments, while enhancing the economic and political importance of urban-centred regions. A practical implication is that cities have become central to the study of federalism. This article attempts a synthesis of what we can learn from the federalism and urban politics literatures about the governance of cities in the twenty-first century. It considers the argument in favour of charter cities, as well as the advocacy of a stronger central government to preserve the social safety net, and concludes that both positions are premised on a traditional, hierarchical view of intergovernmental relations, a view that is out of keeping with the exigencies of a borderless world. Instead, it poses the following question: How can we have policies that are truly national and yet fully take into account the very significant differences among regions and communities? The article draws on recent research on the impact of federal policies regarding homelessness and immigration in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Saint John, as well as other research, to consider whether the federal government is doing the best it can to preserve national standards while respecting community difference. It concludes by defining three policy models that show varying degrees of promise in achieving that objective.

Résumé. Les recherches courantes sur le fédéralisme et sur la politique urbaine avancent que les changements économiques, technologiques et politiques qui se produisent à l'échelle mondiale affaiblissent les capacités des gouvernements nationaux tout en renforçant l'importance économique et politique des centres urbains. Il en découle, sur le plan pratique, que les centres urbains sont devenus un sujet essentiel de l'étude du fédéralisme. Le présent article tente de faire une synthèse de ce que les recherches sur le fédéralisme et la politique urbaine peuvent nous enseigner sur la gouvernance des villes au 21e siècle. Après avoir examiné l'argument en faveur des villes à charte et celui qui préconise un renforcement du gouvernement central pour préserver le filet de sécurité sociale, l'article conclut que les deux arguments sont fondés sur une conception traditionnelle et hiérarchique des relations intergouvernementales, et que cette conception ne répond plus aux exigences d'un monde sans frontières. Puis, il pose la question suivante : comment peut-on formuler des politiques qui soient véritablement nationales et qui, en même temps, tiennent compte des différences importantes entre les régions et les communautés? S'inspirant principalement d'une enquête récente sur le retentissement des politiques fédérales sur les problèmes des sans-abri et de l'immigration à Vancouver, à Winnipeg et à Saint-Jean N.-B., l'article examine dans quelle mesure le gouvernement fédéral s'efforce de sauvegarder des normes nationales tout en respectant les différences régionales. En conclusion, il propose trois modèles politiques qui seraient susceptibles, à des degrés divers, d'atteindre cet objectif.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 39 , Issue 3 , September 2006 , pp. 481 - 506
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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