Download or read book Auditing Canadian Democracy written by William Cross and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2010-10-27 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Authored by a team of Canada's leading political scientists, the award-winning Canadian Democratic Audit represents one of the most ambitious examinations of Canadian democracy in recent political scholarship. Auditing Canadian Democracy marks the culmination of this landmark project. Using the uniquely Canadian benchmarks of participation, responsiveness, and inclusiveness, the contributors synthesize and update their findings from the original volumes. A concluding synopsis considers the various reform proposals put forth in the series. A lively and accessible examination of existing practices and reforms, this book's timely analysis should interest all citizens concerned with the health of our democracy.
Download or read book Citizens written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Performance Auditing written by Jeremy Lonsdale and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'It is time, 15 years on from the coining of the "Audit Explosion", to re-appraise the growth of new forms of auditing. As we move into what might be called "Auditing in Austerity" this book gives us that overview. An extremely well-informed team of authors has been assembled to deliver a comparative analysis that successfully mixes "insider" and "outsider" perspectives. This should be required reading, not just for auditors and their academic hangers-on, but for the wider audience of those interested in contemporary developments in democratic accountability and policymaking.' – Christopher Pollitt, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium 'This book fills an important gap in the market. At a time when governments around the world face the largest deficits in decades, there is a strong need to reduce public expenditures whilst ensuring greater value for money from public services. This book addresses these concerns and many more. Each of the chapter authors is a senior practitioner and/or an academic who specialises in performance auditing and accountability in modern complex democracies. They explore the nature of the concepts which underlie current practice; set out a variety of institutional structures and processes, and identify the limits of both theory and practice. These make this a book of considerable significance and one which makes an important contribution to our understanding of the democratic process. This is not a narrowly-focused book only of interest to those who specialise in performance auditing. Given the richness of its analysis and the fine-grained understanding of institutions and processes, it has much to say to students of public administration, management and policy analysis. I am confident that this will rapidly become the standard reference for those who are interested in performance auditing.' – Peter M. Jackson AcSS, University of Leicester, UK 'What a good read. Insightful and challenging. It is likely to incite a lot of discussion on the wide-ranging views from the very well-informed and qualified contributors, not least from those who actually have to implement the findings and recommendations of performance audit reports. The focus is rightly on accountability for performance not only in achieving government program objectives in an economic, efficient and effective manner, but also on the audit institutions themselves. It should be welcomed by the public sector and particularly by the parliamentary institutions concerned with achieving accountability for government performance.' – Pat Barrett AO, Australian National University and former Australian Auditor-General (1995–2005) 'This book is a much welcome tonic for public administration. It is one of the few books that explicitly focus on how audit institutions carry out their performance auditing responsibilities. While auditors will likely read this, the authors have geared the book to a broader readership, including public managers who are often the subject of performance audits.' – From the foreword by Paul Posner, George Mason University, US This state-of-the-art book examines the development of performance audit, drawing on the experience in a number of different countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The expert contributors identify the trajectory of performance audit, examine how it is conducted and consider what it is contributing to effective government. They conclude that, in the face of new challenges, performance auditors should focus both on their core responsibilities to ensure accountability, and continue to develop more insightful and sophisticated approaches to enable them to assess the growing complexity of the delivery of public services. By doing so, they can continue to play a valuable role in democratic accountability. Providing an up-to-date overview and discussion of performance audit, this highly topical book will appeal to all those working within audit, academics working in the fields of public management and public administration, as well practitioners in and close to state audit institutions. Members of Parliament, evaluators, internal auditors, researchers, policy analysts and consultants will also find this book invaluable.
Download or read book Communication Technology written by Darin Barney and published by University of British Columbia Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A decade ago, when the Internet began to emerge as a popular new mode of communication, many political scientists and social commentators surmised that technologies arising from its widespread use would revolutionize our democratic institutions. Today, voter turnout levels are at historic lows, while Internet usage is at historic highs. Can we still make the claim, then, that new information and communication technologies (ICTs) enhance democratic life in Canada? In fact, what effect is the increasing mediation of political communication by ICTs having on the practice of Canadian politics? How have such digital technologies affected the distribution of power in Canadian society? In Communication Technology, Darin Barney investigates the links between ICTs and our democratic processes. Framing his discussion around the Canadian Democratic Audit’s central concerns of inclusiveness, public participation, and responsiveness, Barney argues that the potential of ICTs to contribute to a more democratic political system will remain largely untapped unless the more conventional dimensions of Canadian politics, the economy, and modes of governance are re-oriented. A highly original volume of the Canadian Democratic Audit, Communication Technology poses some provocative questions about the state of Canadian democracy and the place of ICTs in shaping and improving it. Students of political science and media studies, as well as those with an interest in understanding the activist potential of ICTs will find this book particularly compelling.
Download or read book The Public Purse written by Norman Ward and published by . This book was released on 1964 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Citizens written by Elisabeth Gidengil and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2011-11-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Citizens are central to any meaningful definition of democracy. What does it say about the health of Canadian democracy when fewer citizens than ever are exercising their right to vote and party membership rolls are shrinking? Are increasingly well-educated citizens turning away from traditional electoral politics in favour of other forms of democratic engagement or are they simply withdrawing from political participation altogether? The first comprehensive assessment of citizen engagement in Canada, this volume raises challenging questions about the interests and capabilities of Canadians as democratic citizens, as well as the performance of our democratic institutions. It is essential reading for politicians and policy-makers, students and scholars of Canadian politics, and all those who care about the quality of Canadian democracy.
Download or read book Advocacy Groups written by Lisa Young and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2011-11-01 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Advocacy Groups uses the Audit standards of responsiveness, inclusiveness, and participation to examine advocacy groups in Canada and assess the ways that they contribute to, or detract from, Canadian democracy. It argues that group activity represents an important form of political participation. Though some interests face greater organizational challenges than others, advocacy groups can play critical compensatory roles for interests that are often unrepresented in traditional political institutions. It also finds that while Canadian advocacy groups employ a wide range of strategies to draw attention to their concerns, those with greater financial resources generally have greater access to government decision-makers. This has been accentuated by recent trends in the reduction of government funding to advocacy groups. The book concludes with several recommendations for 'best practices' that groups can follow in their internal organization and efforts to influence public policy, as well as for actions that governments can take to engage in constructive consultation with groups.
Download or read book Communication Technology written by Darin David Barney and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Federalism written by Jennifer Smith and published by University of British Columbia Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a world where federal states seem to exist precariously, politicians and academics from around the globe continue to look to Canada as a model of federalism. And yet, our own system of organization and governance also appears strained: Quebec nationalism, First Nations’ claims, the regionalization of party politics, and the uneven and shifting delivery of essential services have all altered the face of federal politics. Federalism explains how Canada came to be a federation (what reasons there were for it, and against it, historically); what the challenges to federalism currently are; and how we might fortify some areas of weakness in the federal system. Jennifer Smith argues that federalism is part of the democratic problem now; however, reformed, it can be part of the solution. Since theorists disagree on the democratic credentials of federalism, it is essential to look at how a real federal system operates. Smith examines the origins of Canadian federalism and its special features, then analyzes it in relation to the benchmarks of the Canadian Democratic Audit project: responsiveness, inclusiveness, and participation. Finding that Canadian federalism falls short on each benchmark, she recommends changes ranging from virtual regionalism to a Council of the Federation that includes Aboriginal representatives. Democracy is about more than the House of Commons or elections. It is also about federalism. This sparkling account of Canadian federalism is a must-read for students and scholars of Canadian politics, politicians and policymakers, and those who care about Canadian democracy.
Download or read book The Politics of Public Management written by David A. Good and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2003-01-01 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Good's The Politics of Public Management is a 'textbook case' in public administration; it deals with the events and circumstances surrounding the scandal of the grants and contributions audit at Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC). More specifically, Good argues that the HRDC scandal or crisis was the result of a complex series of factors, which transformed a fixable administrative matter into media headlines alleging that the government had lost one billion dollars. The author further contextualizes this scandal by analyzing the dichotomies and contradictions inherent in public administration and supporting the larger premise that certain trade-offs must be made in the administration of any public organization. Good skillfully weaves together into a coherent and comprehensible whole both theoretical (or conceptual) and practical considerations. He draws on current scholarship throughout his analysis and captures for the reader the nuances and complexities of public administration. The first and only extensive critical examination to date of the events surrounding the scandal at HRDC, this text offers an original and groundbreaking contribution to current scholarship on public administration and management in Canada.
Download or read book Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up written by Elisabeth Gidengil and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2014-06-25 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Canada is often held up as an example of a healthy democracy. However, the Canadian public is less enthusiastic about the way our democracy works. Rather than focusing on institutional performance, this book approaches the “democratic deficit” from the perspective of the Canadian public and assesses the performance of political leaders and the media in light of Canadians’ perceptions and expectations. In doing so, a number of chapters highlight the disjuncture between perceptions and performance. For example, governments do keep many of their election promises, and media coverage is not as negative as we are apt to believe. Similarly, the book provides new insights into political apathy by drawing on focus group discussions that represent the first attempt to ask politically marginalized Canadians why they have turned their backs on politics. By introducing the voice of everyday Canadians, this book adds a new perspective to political discussions in this country. Canadian Democracy from the Ground Up is essential for anyone who would like to learn how to build a better democracy – one that meets the expectations of the Canadian public.
Download or read book Cabinets and First Ministers written by Graham White and published by University of British Columbia Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What place do first ministers and their cabinets have in democratic life in Canada? Has cabinet become a prime ministerial focus group? Do political staff and central agency bureaucrats enhance or diminish democracy? Do private members have any say in the cabinet process? Graham White renders a clear account of the development, structure, and operation of cabinet and the role of first ministers at the federal, provincial, and territorial levels. He discusses how the processes that support cabinet are affected by the considerable power of the first minister, and looks at the ways in which they permit the involvement of other elected members and the public. Taking the view that characterizing our Westminster-style government is an oversimplification, White examines first ministers and cabinets in terms of accountability and transparency and proposes realistic improvements to this aspect of Canadian democracy.
Download or read book Managed Network Services Audit written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Political Parties written by William Paul Cross and published by Canadian Democratic Audit. This book was released on 2004 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Publisher description: Delves into the history, structure, mechanisms, and roles of Canada's political parties, and assesses the degree to which Canadians can rely on political parties as vehicles for grassroots participation. With an emphasis on Canada's federal parties, Cross examines party membership, candidate recruitment, leadership selection, policy development, election campaigning, and party financing. Throughout, he maintains a clear focus on how well Canadian parties are serving the Canadian people, and, in keeping with the aims of the Democratic Audit, interrogates their performance in terms of participation, inclusiveness, and responsiveness. In addition, the book also draws on the experiences of provincial parties to provide a comprehensive portrait of party life in Canada. Where appropriate, comparisons are drawn with parties in other Western democracies.
Download or read book Elections written by John C. Courtney and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2011-11-01 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Open and competitive elections governed by widely accepted rules and procedures are essential to the legitimacy of any political system. Elections assesses the history and development of five building blocks of the Canadian electoral regime: the franchise, electoral districts, voter registration, election machinery, and plurality voting. Arguing that on balance the Canadian electoral system is truly democratic, John Courtney demonstrates its vast improvements over the years. The right to vote is now generously interpreted. The process of redrawing electoral districts is no longer in the hands of elected officials. Voter registration lists include all but a small share of eligible voters. And those who manage and supervise elections on behalf of all citizens are honest and trustworthy officials. Using the recent push for reform of the plurality vote system as one example, Courtney also examines why certain electoral institutions have been amenable to change and others have not.
Download or read book Imperfect Democracies written by Patti Tamara Lenard and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2012-10-01 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Canada and the United States are consistently ranked among the most democratic countries in the world, yet voices expressing concern about the quality of these democracies are becoming louder and more insistent. Critics maintain that the two countries suffer from a “democratic deficit,” a deficit that raises profound questions about the legitimacy and effectiveness of their democratic institutions. Imperfect Democracies brings together Canadian and American scholars to compare how the democratic deficit plays out in the two nations. An important contribution to the field of democratic theory and the study of democratic institutions, this timely book will spark debate on both sides of the border.
Download or read book Audit Accountability and Government written by Fidelma White and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text explains the constitutional purpose and significance of audit, and aspects of accountability in the British system of government. It suggests that audit delivers managerial accountability. It explains the basic concepts of accounting and audit, and sets audit in its historical context.
