Stephen Brooks (1)

My review is of the Third Edition of Canadian Democracy, An Introduction.

Canadian Democracy, An Introduction, Third Edition, written by Steven Brooks, is a comprehensive analysis of the forces and institutions that shape Canada's democracy. Although the book that I read is somewhat dated, and appears to have been written from a pre-Harper, Western-Canadian, right-wing point of view, it is still an important textbook as sections of the author's analysis of our current democracy and the history of how we got here are accurate.

The reader is introduced to the ideas of how people can influence government policy. This is done either by lobbying government officials, using the media, the judicial system or any combo of the three. Aspect of the media are also covered, however some of the analysis is again flawed. For instance, the author questions the relevance of the quota system of Canadian content conditional to the CRTC licences of certain radio stations. I cannot believe the author does not understand how such quotas fostered the development of Canadian talent and continue to do so to the point where our singers and bands are internationally acclaimed superstars.

In spite of his limited understanding of important elements of Canadian democracy, the author does make credible arguments about the entertainment role of the media and how this reinforces the status quo in society. This is done by media companies making ads and consumerism central to our lives and distracting us from the news and information that would allow viewers to question authority. This also ties into the question of media ownership and why these conglomerates are more interested in sales and advertising than in changing attitudes or behavior.

Another aspect of Canadian democracy that is covered in the text relates to Quebec, and its promotion as a 'distinct society'. The term, outdated, insulting and forever associated with the Meech Lake Accord, seems so ridiculous when talking about the nation of Quebec that it is not even worth further discussion or mention. The historical balance of both the English and French communities presented in the text is fair however and enables the reader to have an idea of the historical tensions and the balance of power that existed and remains between the two European founding peoples of Canada.

As suggested by the author, the consequences of the decline of the Francophone share of the Canadian population and the growth of French immersion schools in English Canada has created a country where the number of those who are truly bilingual is declining and is being replaced by Anglophones who can do no more in French than count to 20. The perception of how Canada's linguistic minorities are protected depend in large part on the mother tongue of the respondents and their location, as demonstrated in the comparison of views between Anglophone Torontonians and Francophone Montrealers.

The criticism of the Chretien Liberals for not getting rid of NAFTA is unwarranted, and again shows a Western Canada bias, as, from my recollection, it appeared that, once elected, the government attempted to do so. However, the analysis of where and how government decisions are made was very interesting and informative. The section concerning the history of the protection of human rights in this country, from the Parliamentary tradition to the current use of the Charter is also very thought provoking.

Last but not least is the final chapter of the book, which dealt with the evolution of the women's movement in this country and is educational and helps the reader understand the issues faced by women today. The difficulty in defending women's rights and being critical of government policies while at the same time receiving funding from them appears to be a tough balancing act that women's groups do admirably. As these groups fight to break stereotypes and traditional gender roles and promote the principle of 'the personal is political', the progress that they make benefit us all.

A textbook that I would somewhat recommend, I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.… (meer)