Miss Phases of Canadian Federalism

Abstract

A critical review of Simeon and Robinson's "Dynamics of Canadian Federalism." Simeon and Robinson evaluate the evolutionary path of Canadian federalism throughout history using the lens of historical institutionalism. In Simeon and Robinson’s “The Dynamics of Canadian Federalism” in James Bickerton and Alain-G. Gagnon’s Canadian Politics 5th ed., the authors argue that the best way to understand Canadian federalism is by evaluating how key historical factors shaped the application of federal principles. They categorize Canadian federalism into periods and outline what historical factors defined the type of federalism that was pertinent at the time. Canadian federalism has achieved great success in responding to times of international crisis through strong leadership and maintaining the federation despite historical pressures. The question remains, what factors of Canadian politics will inform the next phase of Canadian federalism and how will the Canadian government account for the presence of Indigenous Canadians that have not been considered throughout the evolution of Canadian federalism.