Public Sector Politics, Modernization, and Federalism: The Canadian and American Experiences

Abstract

The focus of this analysis is an attempt to compare Canadian and American federalism in terms of Samuel Beer's modernization theory. In Canada, it is argued that modernization had led to the enhancement of provincial power rather than the centralization of the federal system. The Westminster model of parliamentary government contributed to these developments, although the way in which power is organized in government has been even more important in determining the directions taken by Canadian federalism.