While the public service is attempting to define its own political sphere, the House of Commons is also in a state of flux. The prime minister and his close advisers wield ever more power, and cabinet no longer occupies the policy ground to which it is entitled. Ministers, who have traditionally been able to develop their own roles, have increasingly lost their autonomy. Federal departmental structures are crumbling, giving way to a new model that favours that sharing of policy and program space. The implications of this functional shift are far-reaching, having a deep impact on public policy, government operations, and ultimately, individual and institutional accountability.
Drawing on a wide range of sources, including published and unpublished government documents and extensive interviews with present and former government officials, Savoie provides important historical background and clear analysis of the realities facing ministers, deputy ministers, and members of Parliament. Comprehensive and insightful, Breaking the Bargain makes a significant contribution to contemporary debate ongovernance and the potential for political reform in Canada.
| List of Tables | ||
| Preface | ||
| 1 | Introduction: The Bargain Then and Now | 3 |
| Pt. 1 | Foundations | |
| 2 | Creating a Non-partisan Civil Service | 23 |
| 3 | The Traditional Bargain | 40 |
| 4 | Life in the Village | 62 |
| Pt. 2 | Code Red, 1980s and 1990s | |
| 5 | Diagnosing the Patient | 83 |
| 6 | Looking Elsewhere for Policy Advice | 103 |
| 7 | Avoiding Management at the Top | 132 |
| Pt. 3 | Reconfiguring the Pieces | |
| 8 | Parliamentarians, Ministers, and Public Servants | 171 |
| 9 | Reshaping the Bargain | 206 |
| 10 | Redefining Accountability | 245 |
| Notes | 285 | |
| Index | 327 |
Overview