bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Le rapport Bélanger, dix ans après
Authors: Bélanger Marcel
Published: January 2008

Sommaire. II y a dix ans, soit le 22 février 1966, un peu plus d'un mois après le dépôt du rapport de la Commission d'enquéte sur la fiscalité au Québec, j'avais le plaisir de m'adresser à votre groupe. Dans une conférence intitulée « Le rapport Bélanger vu par le président de la Commission » j'avais expliqué les problèmes que mes collègues et moi avions décelés au sujet de la fiscalité au Québec et les solutions que nous avions proposées pour y remédier.

J'ai pensé qu'il vous intéresserait de faire un bref tour d'hiorizon d'une part de la fiscalité provinciate et, d'autre part, de la fiscalité municipale et scolaire pour voir ce qui est advenu des recommandations de la commission et queues seraient mes conclusions face aux problèmes actuels.

Il est bien évident que je ne parle ici qu'en mon nom personnel, ne voulant aucunement engager les autres commissaires‐le sénateur H. Carl Goldenberg et Charles H. Perrault‐pas plus d'ailleurs que le secrétaire de la commission, le premier ministre actuel du Québec.

Abstract. Ten years ago, on February 22, 1966, a little more than one month after tabling the report of the Commission of Inquiry on Taxation in Quebec, I had the pleasure to address your group. In a paper entitled The Bélanger Report from the Viewpoint of the President of the Commission, I explained the problems of taxation in Quebec, as seen by my colleagues and myself and the solutions we envisaged.

I thought that you might be interested in a brief review of provincial taxation on one hand and municipal and school taxation on the other. You might also want to know what happened to the recommendations made by the Commission and what are my conclusions, with regard to the present problems.

It is obvious that I speak only for myself and that I do not want to involve the other commissioners, Senator H. Carl Goldenberg and Charles H. Perrault, any more than the secretary of the Commission who is now the Premier of the Province of Quebec.
Regulatory failure and competition
Authors: Reschenthaler G.B.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. This paper examines the roles of direct regulation and competition as policy instruments in the planning and regulation of industry in Canada. The purpose of the paper is threefold: to develop a general framework which will facilitate the detection of the failure of direct regulation; to introduce various techniques which can be utilized to measure the cost of regulatory failure; and, to identify sectors of the economy in which the substitution of competition for direct regulation might be expected to provide significant improvement in economic performance.

In the first section, traditional Canadian attitudes toward regulation and competition are reviewed. In the second section, the focus is directed to many dimensions of regulatory failure which have led to increasing disenchantment with direct regulation by economists; a framework is then introduced for detecting regulatory failure. In the final sections of this paper, some case studies‐mainly in transportation industries‐are presented to illustrate techniques which are available for measuring the economic costs of certain types of regulatory failure. Additionally, opportunities for the overcoming of regulatory failure by the substitution of competition for direct regulation are considered.

Sommaire, L'auteur de cet exposé examine les rôles respectifs de la règie‐mentation directe et de la concurrence en tant qu'instruments de politique pour planifier et règlementer l'industrie au Canada. Cette étude a un triple but: élaborer un cadre général qui facilitera la détection de l'échec de la règlementation directe; introduire différentes techniques qui pourront être utilisées pour mesurer le coût de cet échec et identifier les secteurs de l'éco‐nomie dans lesquels la substitution de la concurrence à la règlementation directe devrait assurer une amelioration sensible des performances économiques. L'auteur examine dans la première partie les attitudes canadiennes tradi‐tionnelles vis‐à‐vis de la règlementation et de la concurrence. Dans la deuxième partie, il insiste sur les différentes dimensions de l'échec de la règlementation qui ont amené les économistes à se détourner de plus en plus de la règie‐mentation directe. Dans les demières parties de son exposé, il présente quelques cas d'espèce—empruntés surtout à l'industrie du transport—pour illustrer les techniques actuelles permettant de mesurer les coûts économiques de certains types d'échec dans la règlementation. II considère de plus les possibilités de surmonter cet échec en substituant la concurrence à la règie‐mentation directe.
Radio‐Québec: Une institution publique à la recherche d'une mission
Authors: Cabatoff Kenneth
Published: January 2008

Abstract. Radio‐Québec is the Quebec educational television service, the Quebec equivalent of the Ontario Educational Communications Authority or of the Public Broadcasting System in the United States.

However, Radio‐Québec has also had to carry the burden of a ‘second mandate’: a symbolic one. Its foundation was part of Daniel Johnson's strategy to recapture jurisdiction over broadcasting from the federal government. Eventually‐so many people thought‐Radio‐Québec would replace Radio‐Canada within the frontiers of Quebec.

However, the course of its development led it into a number of severe administrative problems. There was an institutional conflict with the Ministry of Education. There was public criticism of the quality of its productions, to the effect that it resembled a sort of ‘televised radio’ Finally, there was an increasing gap between its costs and its revenues, which led the organization to seek increased funds, ‘to improve the quality of its programming’

It is argued that many of these problems have arisen because of an initial emphasis on local production at the expense of broadcasting as such. Because of Radio‐Québec's ‘patriotic’ mandate perhaps, the setting up of production facilities enjoyed the highest priority. Only in this way could ‘made‐in‐Quebec’ programs be produced. Broadcasting, on the other hand, did not begin until four years after the organization's foundation.

Sommaire. Radio‐Québec est un réseau d'Etat de télévision éducative, l'équiva‐lent québécois de l'Office de la télécommunication éducative de l'Ontario, (Ontario Educational Communications Authority) ou de la Public Broadcasting System aux Etats‐Unis.

Mais Radio‐Québec se voit aussi attribuer un deuxième mandat: de type « symbolique ». En effet, sa fondation faisait partie de la stratégic générale de Daniel Johnson, qui réclamait la juridiction entière du Québec dans le domaine des communications. A long terme‐dans l'esprit de nombreuses personnes‐Radio‐Québec remplacerait Radio‐Canada à l'intérieur des fron‐tières québécoises.

Mais, au cours de son évolution, Radio‐Québec fit face à une série de défis assez graves. Il y eut un conflit institutionnel avec le ministère de l'Education, son client principal. Il y eut des critiques faites à l'égard de sa pragrammation, selon laquelle on faisait « de la radio télévisée ». Enfin, il y eut un problème financier; l'écart croissant entre ses coûts et ses revenus, qui l'amena à réclamer un surcroît d'argent « pour améliorer la qualité de la programmation ».

L'hypothèse de ce travail est que bon nombre de ces problèmes résultaient d'une décision de développer d'abord le secteur de la production aux dépens du secteur diffusion. Peut‐être à cause de son mandat « patriotique », la production eut la premiere priorité. C'était là le seul moyen de réaliser des documents « faits au Québec ». La diffusion, par contre, ne commença que quatre ans après sa fondation.
The Canada Assistance Plan: the ultimate in cooperative federalism
Authors: Dyck Rand
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The Canada Assistance Plan, adopted in 1966, was probably the most harmonious product of the cooperative federalism process. Five main aspects of the Plan support this judgment. Both levels of government saw the need for such a measure and both were intensely involved in establishing its basic contents. Federal officials were extremely sensitive to provincial demands for flexibility, in the third place, and a unique process of federal‐provincial consultation on the details of the measure took place at the formulation stage. Finally, the Plan was implemented in the same kind of intimate federal‐provincial interaction. Although few areas of conflict arose in this whole development, a bargaining model can be applied to them with interesting results. This exercise reveals that while bargaining was little in evidence in this case, it did not always follow patterns we have come to expect. The unusual degree of harmony involved in this case is related to the general deference to professional norms, to the fact that the initiative came largely from the provinces and to the attitude of federal officials toward the provinces.

Sommaire. Le Régime d'assistance publique du Canada, adoptée en 1966, est sans doute le produit le plus harmonieux du mécanisme du fédéralisme coopératif. Cinq aspects du regime justifient ce jugement. Les deux niveaux de gouvernement reconnurent le besoin de cette mesure et s'occupèrent de façon intensive d'en établir les bases. Les représentants fédéraux furent très réceptifs aux demandes provinciales dans le but d'introduire une certaine souplesse, et en troisième lieu, l'établissement d'un mécanisme original de consultation fédérale‐provinciale au moment de la formulation. Finalement, cette même interaction mtime fédérale‐provinciale présida à la mise en oeuvre du régime. Bien que certains différends n'aient pu être évités pendant le processus d'élaboration, on peut le comparer á un modèle de négotiations. Get exercice révèle qu'alors que les négotiations ont été réduites au minimum dans ce cas‐ci, elles n'ont pas suivi le scénario auquel nous avons dû nous habituer. Le degré exceptionnel d'hiarmonie qui s'est manifesté est attribuable á un respect général des normes professionnelles, au fait que dans une large mesure, ce sont les provinces qui avaient pris l'initiative et á l'attitude des représentaux fédéraux vis‐à‐vis des provinces.
The Anti‐Inflation case: the anatomy of a constitutional decision
Authors: Russell Peter H.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The Supreme Court's decision upholding the Anti‐Inflation Act may have been the Court's most important decision since becoming Canada's final Court of Appeal. While the federal government's wage and price control policy escaped a judicial veto, the Court's decision gave that policy only a temporary constitutional mandate. In so doing, the Court laid to rest, for the time being, any possibility that the national peace, order and good government power was to be dramatically expanded, but opened up the possibility of fairly easy access to the emergency use of the power in peacetime.

By examining this decision in the context of the political and legal strategies of the parties, we may gain some valuable insights into the nature of judicial review in Canada. Among other things the case demonstrates the limited importance of judicial review in the politics of Canadian federalism. The Court's decision signals that a constitutional revolution is not about to occur, but the decision itself is not the major factor in preventing a centralizing shift in the balance of power. In fact the Supreme Court's decision reflects fairly accurately the balance of political power in the country. But while the case reveals how political the process of judicial review can be in Canada, still the end product of the process—the opinions of the judges—continues to be cast in a relatively legalistic' style. The Court may adjudicate constitutional disputes but it is not about to dispense constitutional wisdom.

The case also teaches us something about the relative importance of economic and judicial resources in the political process. The main lesson is clear: bodi politicians and interest groups will risk losses in terms of long‐run constitutional doctrine in order to secure important short‐run policy objectives.
La Commission des valeurs mobilières du Québec
Authors: Charbonneau Michel
Published: January 2008

Sommaire. La Commission des valeurs mobilières du Québec se classe parmi les organismes de regulation les plus complexes. Elle est toutefois fort mal connue en raison de son champ d'activité specialise et de l'hégémonie de sa consoeur d'Ontario. Cet article se veut done une etude descriptive et détaillée de sa structure, de l'étendue de ses responsabilités statutaires et de ses modes d'opération, tant de nature interne que courante ou publique, le tout precede d'une note introductive sur la philosophic de son mandat. Il va sans dire que les activités de la Commission s'inscrivent dans un scheme de régulation du financement public des entreprises, du contrǒle des marches boursiers au Québec et de l'enregistrement des courtiers et agents de change faisant affaire dans la province. L'étude examine également la Commission en tant qu'organisme administratif. A cet effet les references statutaires, les décisions importantes de la Commission et certains commentaires se retrouvent tous en notes de référence à la fin de l'article.

Abstract. The Quebec Securities Commission ranks amongst the more complex administrative agencies. It remains, however, relatively unknown by reason of its highly specialized area of concern and the long‐standing leadership of its Ontario counterpart. This article stands therefore as a descriptive and detailed study of its structure, the ambit of its statutory responsibilities and its operational modalities, internal as well as public, the whole superseded by an introductionary note on the philosophy of its legislative mandate. Obviously the Commission's activities are drawn within a regulatory scheme directed at the public financing of corporations, the supervision of Quebec's securities markets and the registration of brokers and investment dealers carrying on business in the province. The study and its considerations are nevertheless those of an administrative agency as such. Accordingly all statutory references, the Commission's most important decisions and certain comments thereon are to be found in the substantive notes at the end of the article.
Patterns and strategies of court administration in Canada and the United States
Authors: Baar Carl
Published: January 2008

Abstract. This paper argues that patterns of court administration and the strategies pursued by judiciaries in Canada and the United States are quite different as a result of contrasting constitutional principles. Parliamentary supremacy in Canada has led to executive department administration of the courts, while the American separation of powers doctrine has encouraged judicial branch administration of the courts. Constitutional differences have also promoted more unified systems of court administration in Canada than in the United States. As a result of these differences, Canadian judiciaries have pursued an encapsulation strategy and have depended on the legal community to serve as their patron. On the other hand, American judiciaries have promoted organizational growth and sought empowerment — the development of a separate power base — rather than relying on powerful allies.

Sommaire. D'après l'auteur de cet article, les scénarios de l'administration des tribunaux et les stratégies adoptés par les fonctionnaires judiciaires sont très différents au Canada et aux Etats‐Unis, par suite de la divergence de leurs principes constitutionnels. La suprématie du parlement, au Canada, a conduit à l'exercice d'un contrǒle par l'exécutif sur l'administration des tribunaux alors que la doctrine américaine de la séparation des pouvoirs a encouragé l'exercice de ce contrǒle par le pouvoir judiciaire lui měme. Les différences constitution‐nelles ont aussi contribuéà promouvoir des systèmes d'administration des tribunaux plus unifiés au Canada qu'aux Etats‐Unis. A cause de ces différences, les fonctionnaires judiciaires canadiens ont adopté une stratégie de retranchement, comptant sur la communauté des juristes pour leur servir de protecteurs. Leurs homologues américains, par contre, ont cherché ce promouvoir la crois‐sance de leur organisation et de ses pouvoirs en fait le devéloppement d'un pouvoir siparé‐au lieu de se fies à des allies puissants extérieurs.
L'Evolution du professionalisme au Québec
Authors: Dussault René
Published: January 2008

Sommaire. La réforme des professions au Québec, qui a déjà fait l'objet d'un exposé dans cette revue,1 a récemment franchi une étape importante à l'occa‐sion de la publication par l'Office des professions d'une étude sur l'évolutiori du professionnalisme au Québec,2 dont le président de cet organisme présente ici une synthèse. Pressé par plusieurs groupements réclamant l'octroi d'un statut de corporation professionnelle et désireux de ne pas procéder cas par cas, mais plutǒt selon une politique d'ensemble, l'Office a jugé nécessaire d'effectuer cette étude dans le but de déterminer des guides d'évaluation de ces demandes de reconnaissance professionnelle et d'évaluer l'efficacité du mécanisme du titre réservé par rapport à celui de l'exercice exclusif.

Abstract. Professional reform in Quebec, which has already been discussed in this revue, recently made a significant advance following the publication, by the Office des professions, of a study on the evolution of professionalism in Quebec; the following summary of the study was submitted by the President of the Office. A number of groups have been lobbying for professional status and, rather than proceed case by case, the Office carried out the study in order to establish guidelines for the evaluation of the numerous requests for professional recognition and to measure the effectiveness of the principle of ‘reserved title’ as opposed to that of ‘exclusive practice.’
Certaines considerations relatives à la question municipale
Authors: Angers Bernard
Published: January 2008

Sommaire. L'auteur, après avoir décrit la nature du gouvemement local, son rǒle, sa fonction ainsi que son financement, s'interroge sur le type de gouver‐nement local souhaité. Il opte pour un gouvemement local autonome dont le rǒle principal est de fournir des services à la propriété et aux personnes. Cette identification des rǒles permettra d'orienter les sources de revenue en référence avec les fonctions municipales. Selon cette hypothèse, l'impǒt sur le revenu comme source de financement municipal ne semble pas approprié. Il serait préférable d'améliorer la performance de l'impǒt foncier et trouver d'autres sources de taxation rattachées soit à la propriété, soit à la prestation des services. De měme, l'intervention des gouvemements provinciaux et fédéral doit ětre limitée si l'on ne veut pas que les municipalités deviennent des administrateurs de programmes provinciaux et fédéraux.

Abstract. This paper, after reviewing the nature of local government, its role, its function as well as its funding, speculates as to the proper type of local government. He favours an autonomous local government whose main function would be to supply services to property and individuals. This role identification would allow to gear income sources to municipal functions. Under this policy, an income tax considered as the source of municipal funding would not seem suitable. It would be better to improve the performance of the real estate tax system and to find other sources on the basis of either ownership or supply of services. The intervention of provincial and federal governments should also be curtailed to prevent municipalities from becoming the administrators of provincial and federal programs.
Membership in Canadian regulatory agencies
Authors: Brown‐John C. Lloyd
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The paper reports some of the results obtained from a questionnaire administered to 320 members of 70 federal and provincial regulatory agencies in Canada. The data contained in this paper encompasses three areas: fundamental socio‐economic information about regulators; their perceptions of why they were selected for positions with the agency; and their ideological and political predilictions. The paper concludes, subject to the qualifications set forth in the paper, that Canadian regulators are of a fairly high quality but that they are not as judicial as they assume or as free from politics as might be presumed.

Sommaire. L'auteur de cet exposé donne les résultats d'un questionnaire auquel ont répondu 320 membres de 70 organismes de regulation fédéraux et provinciaux au Canada. Les résultats de ce questionnaire se regroupent sous trois rubriques: données socio‐économiques fondamentales sur les responsables de la réglementation; les opinions des régisseurs quant aux raisons pour lesquelles ce poste leur été confié; et leurs orientations idéologiques et politiques. L'auteur conclut que sous certaines réerves, les régisseurs au Canada sont d'un assez haut calibre, mais qu'ils ne sont ni aussi impartiaux qu'ils le croient, ni aussi indépendants de la politique qu'on pourrait le supposer.
Public policy: creativity and bureaucracy
Authors: Johnson A.W.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The development and implementation of a government policy by a single ministry is a greater stimulus to creativity than a collective and inter‐ministerial approach. Starting from the principle that creation is an individual act which emanates neither from administrative structures, nor from committees, nor from manuals of instructions, the author affirms that the conditions which favour creativity in a public or other administration are precisely those which awaken and increase the creative impulse of the human mind.

In the individual method, the ministry alone formulates the policies which are within its competence. The other ministries affected by them are asked for their views and the possible constraints which may result, but only on a consultative basis. This method has obvious advantages for the ministry in question. The author suggests, inter alia, that the ministry be allowed to retain 50 per cent of any economies realized through greater efficiency in the execution of its policies. On the other hand, if civil servants misread ministerial intentions or ignore constraints imposed by other policies, they should pay the price, which may, in the final analysis, involve the dismissal of the minister or his principal policy advisor.

In the collective method, the policy is not worked out by the immediately responsible ministry but rather by a committee including all the interested ministries. The dynamics of such an approach are very different from the individual method. Being more prudent and bureaucratic, it stalemates individual creativity and is prejudicial to innovative thinking. The constraints and the various interests are so well represented within the committee that they tend to dominate the debate and cause the ministry in charge to be on the defensive. In an endless discussion, the other ministries are hoisted with their own petard of counter‐arguments, and the proposing ministry cannot put forward the positive advantages of the new policy. The resulting loss of time and energy is harmful to creativity.

At the level of policy execution too, the author favours the individual approach which is both efficient and economical. The ministry in charge of the policy is far better placed to determine its implementation within the constraints which delineate its scope. Here, too, the author reaches the conclusion that creativity is better served than in the collective approach.
La grevè de 1976 à I'Office des Nations Unies à Genève et ses conséquences
Authors: Beigbeder Yves
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The strike by the United Nations personnel in Geneva in February‐March 1976 confirmed the tendency of international civil servants to unionize themselves and to apply collective pressure within a framework which, traditionally, did not lend itself to this type of action.

Even though the strikers obtained salary increases for themselves and for their colleagues in other United Nations agencies situated in Geneva (essentially the World Health Organization (who) and the International Labour Office (ilo)), the strike had unfavourable consequences with regard to the international secretariats.

Thus the local and international press accused the un‘bureaucrats’ of being too numerous, over‐paid and too political. Some civil servants protested against the over‐militant attitude of their own associations or unions and dissension arose within the Federation of these associations. The salary increases entailed an additional expenditure of 25.3 million for all the organizations involved. This made the who and ilo reduce their staff and drew criticism over staff management at the un from the Joint Inspection Unit (jiu) and several governmental delegations.

The negative reaction of who member states to the demands for additional funds, together with an initiative of the ‘77’ group aimed at reducing administrative expenses in order to redirect the organization's resources towards technical cooperation, led to a staff reduction at the who headquarters of some 20 per cent in four years; at the ilo, the staff was reduced by 7.3 per cent in two years.

Following the serious criticism by the Joint Inspection Unit concerning the lack of coherence and strictness on the part of the administrations, the General Assembly of the United Nations decided to transfer the responsibility for setting up new salary scales in Geneva from the heads of the Secretariats to the Commission of International Public Service; it also called upon the un Secretary General to speed up the reforms in staff policy and administration.

Through its repercussions the 1976 strike brought to light the fragility of international institutions, whose existence is entirely dependent upon the goodwill of member states, as well as the limits of union activities by associations of international civil servants.
Science and technology in the nuclear regulatory process: the case of Canadian uranium miners
Authors: Doern G. Bruce
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The article examines the role of science and technology in the nuclear regulatory process by focusing on Canadian efforts over the past two decades to regulate the health of Canadian uranium miners. While analysed in the general context of the political economy of the Canadian uranium industry, the article examines in particular a number of aspects of the role of science and technology in the nuclear regulatory process, including Hafele's concept of ‘hypotheticality’, the openness of the regulatory process, the relationships between causal knowledge and political evidence, the relationship between the regulators' research priorities and the lack of applied controls and monitoring technology, the degree of deference paid by domestic regulators to international standard‐setting bodies, and finally the redistributive effects encouraged by a lack of appropriate science and technology priorities.

The regulation of the health of Canadian uranium miners has not been an example of regulatory virtue. The excesses of scientific caution shown in the processes of handling causal knowledge and evidence, when combined with the regulators' split personality of being both regulator as well as quasi‐promoter and manager of the nuclear and uranium industry, allowed only the most intermittent attention to be given to uranium workers.
The social appropriateness of water quality management for the Lower Fraser River
Authors: Sproule‐Jones Mark
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The paper reports the findings of a study designed to measure the benefits accruing to citizens of the Lower Fraser River from the water quality environment and in the light of alternative social values. Twelve indicators of these benefits, or social appropriateness, are derived by using direct survey procedures that differ from previous methodological attempts to measure the benefits of a public good like water quality.
Politiques régionales: traitement du malade ou maladie du guérissaur?
Authors: Migué Jean‐Luc
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The author develops three main propositions on regional inequalities and related policies. First, regional inequalities of incomes and salaries do not originate from differences in productivity but the other way round. Low productivity results from low wages, which are in turn rooted in conditions of overpopulation in certain areas. As for differences in unemployment levels, they are brought about by government‐determined barriers to the smooth adaptation of labour supply to demand conditions, including minimum wage legislation, union power and job licensing legislated by governments (Rand formula, closed corporations).

Second proposition: Regional policies, of which DREE'S activities are only a part, have had minimal effects on the redistribution of investments and employment between the various regions. In addition such poor results as have been achieved represent a heavy burden on taxpayers, as well as on workers through the misallocation of capital.

Finally, in addition to being inefficient, policies with strong regional incidences do exert a real wealth transfer effect. This is the basis for their adoption, given the institutional setting in which the public sector operates. The benefits of regional subsidies are concentrated in the hands of a small number of individuals in outlying areas, whereas the burden is thinly & on the whole of the Canadian (or provincial) population. Each beneficiary has more to gain from these measures than each loser stands to lose.
British Columbia's relations with the United States
Authors: Johannson P.R.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The objective of this study was to develop a profile of the international behaviour of Canadian provincial governments. This was done by studying British Columbia's relations with the United States. The provincial government was divided into three levels of authority (bureaucratic, ministerial and premier), data were gathered in interviews with all departments in the government, and supplemented by five historical case‐studies of intensive relations between b.c. and u.s. governments.

Numerical data which were assembled were used to prepare a conceptual framework of provincial international behaviour. This framework revealed that: the Bureaucratic actor is the most actively involved with U.S. governments, a variety of mechanisms are used to conduct relations, the majority of subjects are within provincial jurisdiction, and the principle motivating factor was the perceived interests of the provincial government in a particular situation. A significant finding was that b.c. had deh'berately involved the international sector as a source of leverage over the federal government, although it was noted that the u.s. undoubtedly is a special case for provincial activities.

The study concluded that there are extensive international activities by the provinces, and that by their nature, they are likely to expand in the future. This would seem to require improved means of accommodating provincial government interests in the formulation of foreign policies by the federal government.
A theory of bureaucratic authority
Authors: Santos Conrado R.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. There are at least two major streams of thought in the literature on administrative authority: the structuralist Weberian view which conceives of bureaucratic authority as something attributed to an organizational position, and the behaviourist Barnard‐Simon view which considers authority as a particular type of observable interactional relationship between any two individuals within the organizational context.

This paper presents and discusses these two views of bureaucratic authority, along with other minor views, and then attempts an axiomatic theoretical definition of authority in the political and bureaucratic realms of life. Bureaucratic authority has been defined as the legitimately established right within the bureaucratic order of the administrative organization to set goals, to formulate policies and decisions, to settle conflicts and, in general, to do other legitimate acts to maintain and enhance the bureaucratic order but within the limits set forth by the sovereign political authority which sanctions and sustains the broader political order in the community or society.
Public administration texts: synthesizing, packaging and groping forward
Authors: Pross A. Paul
Published: January 2008

Book reviewed in this article:

The Craft of Public Administration.
By
george e. berkley. Boston & Toronto: Allyn and Bacon. 1974. Pp. 504. $16.50 (cloth)

Dynamics of Public Bureaucracy: An Introduction to Public Administration.
By
fred a. kramer. Cambridge, Mass.: Winthrop. 1977. Pp. 290. $12.00 (paper)

Public Administration: A Synthesis.
By
howard e. mccurdy. Manlo Park, Calif.: Cummings. 1977. Pp. 424. $12.95 (cloth)

Public Bureaucracies: Values and Perspectives.
By
james a. medeiros
and
david e. schmitt. North Situate, Mass.: Duxbury. 1977. Pp. 183. $4.95 (paper)
Representative bureaucracy: the Canadian perspective
Authors: Kernaghan Kenneth
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The representativeness of the Canadian federal public service is an important matter because of the relation of francophone representation to the central issue of national unity and because of recent demands for the increased representation of women and native people. The major arguments presented in this paper are: 1/that despite the logical and empirical deficiencies of the theory of representative bureacracy, official government policy on a representative public service is based on the central assumption of the theory, and 2/that government efforts to achieve a more representative public service serve significant symbolic and partisan political purposes. The first section of the paper reviews the arguments for and against representative bureaucracy and the Canadian literature on the subject. The second section describes government policy on a representative public service with particular reference to francophones, women and native people. The final section assesses the implications of representative bureaucracy for the Canadian political system and includes an examination of the relation between representative bureaucracy and administrative responsibility and between active and passive representativeness.
Bilingualism revisited: or the confessions of a middle‐aged and belated francophile
Authors: Carson John J.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The efforts to functionally bilingualize the federal public service over the past decade have generally attracted more jeers than cheers. In this rather personal article the author attempts to describe and defend his own role and that of the Public Service Commission in a major attempt at adult re‐education.
L'Etat et ses problèmes d'organisation: la taille ou la ceinture?
Authors: Courville Léon
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The state has become an economic agency of considerable importance. The reason given for the increasing size of the state is the feeling that the working of free markets leads to disappointing results. However, this view itself is often an illusion, since it is impossible to achieve the operational goals by which private action is judged. At that point the state takes over the allocation of resources, but its intervention also implies an unattainable goal.

The state acts without specific rules of behaviour linking the goals of its intervention with the action itself. This often creates a gap between the benefits of the state action and the resources which the so‐called beneficiaries are called upon to contribute. This occurs because, without any control or assessment, the actions depart from their initial goals, either because the would‐be beneficiaries are no longer the ones who in fact benefit, or else because the promises made at the time of the intervention cannot be kept. This problem is illustrated by three examples.

The theme of this paper is that the absence of rules of behaviour incites those who subsidize the state to withdraw their participation. The administrative attempts of the ppbs type did not produce good results. In conclusion, the article suggests that legislation which generates a program of activities should include both the evaluation process and a time limit for a legislative review.
Quebec in the Canadian federation: a provisional evaluative framework
Authors: Fortin Pierre , Paquet Gilles , Rabeau Yves
Published: January 2008

Abstract. The authors consider two separate questions concerning the independence of Quebec: would Quebec improve its standard of living if it left the federation? and would political independence make it easier for Quebec to solve its economic problems? They argue that the first question, which is entangled in the ‘battle of regional economic accounts,’ cannot be answered satisfactorily and has drawn too much attention so far. So they focus on the second question, which they dissect into four sub‐questions: 1/the options open to Quebec in the international economy; 2/structural adjustment and development policies; 3/employment stabilization policies; and 4/the organization of production and income distribution policy. The authors stress that the margins of latitude open to an independent Quebec would be rather narrow at the international level. But they conclude that, if the rigidities injected by the federal bureaucracy into the functioning of the federation and into the debate between levels of government persist, an independent Quebec could reap some net benefits in terms of economic development, employment stabilization, production organization and income distribution. Hence, the cost of political independence would be an increasing function of the capacity of Canadian federalism to display more flexibility in those matters in the future.
The watchdog of Parliament: the centenary of the legislative audit
Authors: Balls Herbert R.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. August 1, 1978, marks the one hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the office of the Auditor General of Canada. This article traces the development of the concept of the legislative audit from the time of its first application in Canada to the present day. The first legislation, modelled on the United Kingdom Exchequer and Audit Departments Act of 1866 and virtually unchanged in substance from 1878 to 1931, vested in the Auditor General the dual functions of comptroller of issue and auditor of the public accounts, with the emphasis on legality and conformity with appropriation requirements. In 1931 responsibility for issue control was removed from the Audit Office and transferred to a newly created executive officer, the Comptroller of the Treasury, who assumed responsibility for a pre‐audit of expenditures, leaving the Auditor General his post‐audit functions. The article describes the transfer in 1969 of responsibility for pre‐audit from the Comptroller of the Treasury to departments in response to the recommendations of the Glassco Royal Commission on Government Organization; the development of the ‘value for money’ concept by the Independent Review Committee on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada; and the embodiment in legislation in the 1975 Auditor General Act of the ‘value for money’ concept in which the audit emphasis is primarily on economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
The generalist versus the specialist: the Department of External Affairs
Authors: Keenleyside T.A.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. This study examines the generalist/specialist controversy in the context of the Canadian Department of External Affairs. Based on survey data with respect to the rotational foreign service officers in the department, the article demonstrates that while in the 1970s External Affairs is still recruiting with the generalist diplomat in mind, a substantial degree of at least partial specialization has developed within its ranks. After establishing that the basic existing types of specialization are area, economic and legal, the article proceeds to ascertain the main requirements for specialists based on the amount of officer time devoted to various activities and the proportion of diplomats responsible for Canadian affairs with respect to various regions. It is determined that administration, personnel, economic, aid and area specialists are the types most required. The educational background of diplomats is also analysed and the article recommends the recruitment of more graduates with university training related to the above types of specialization. Greater use of interdepartmental transfers and appointments from outside the public service is also suggested as a means of meeting departmental requirements. It is also noted that many officers themselves recognize the need for increased specialization in the department in the fields identified. Finally, the study refers to certain subsidiary benefits which External Affairs should derive from increased officer specialization.
Advisory agencies in Canada: an introduction
Authors: Brown‐John C. Lloyd
Published: January 2008

Abstract. This paper reports the results of a sample survey of the members of 76 Canadian federal and provincial advisory agencies. These agencies serve as as entities wherein the widespread interests of the public on a particular policy issue area may be aggregated. The paper introduces the subject, reviews some of the American experience with such agencies, and introduces findings from this Canadian study both about members' attitudes toward their agency and the work of their agency, and about the members themselves.

The study finds that such agencies constitute another level at which interest accommodation occurs. It also suggests that as the level at which advice is rendered increases the belief in the seriousness and importance of the work increases. As for the members, the study concludes that they represent more of an educated elite than perhaps would be assumed to be the case with citizen participatory bodies.

The study concludes that advisory agencies seem to have a useful role in the administrative‐policy process, at least insofar as members are concerned.

Summary: There would appear to be little doubt that insofar as participants are concerned advisory agencies, appointed with sufficient solemnity and liaising with sufficiently senior policy‐makers, are considered worthwhile components of the policy process, especially where matters of economics are concerned. We shall turn now to the members themselves.
An analysis of the goals of lottery managers: implications for developments in the operation of Canadian lotteries
Authors: Johnson James A.
Published: January 2008

Abstract. Government lotteries were introduced in Canada in 1970 and during the past eight years have increased greatly in number and in size. Lotteries have generated a great deal of public interest but the goals of lottery managers have received little attention. The purposes of this paper are to examine some objectives which could be achieved in the operation of lotteries and to use the results of this analysis, along with the experience of foreign lotteries, to make some tentative predictions about changes in Canadian lotteries over the next five years.

The first part of the paper discusses the role of government in lottery operation and argues that government‐run lotteries are preferable to privately run lotteries, even if government‐regulated. The second section of the paper examines various goals which may be important to lottery managers and concludes that revenue maximization is likely to be more important than goals like minimizing the regressivity of a lottery ‘tax’ or achieving the price and output which would occur in pure competition. In the last section, suggestions for increasing lottery revenues are examined and it is judged that more frequent draws, special prizes and increased advertising are more likely to occur than changes in ticket prices, prize structures and payout ratios. Lottery profits could also be increased by eliminating the competition between the federal and provincial offerings and it is likely that further conflicts will be resolved by a joint operation or in favour of the provinces.
Bureaucracy and state intervention: Parkinson's Law?
Authors: Breton Albert , Wintrobe Ronald
Published: January 2008

Abstract. Parkinson's Law is the popular idea that bureaucrats or administrators are bound to multiply. The basis for the Law was Parkinson's observation that, in some organizations, the number of administrators continued to increase even when the organization, as measured either by its output or the size of its direct labour force, was declining. This paper first considers two popular explanations of this phenomenon: the political monopoly model and the model of bureaucrats as budget maximizers. The authors show that neither of these theories is capable of providing a satisfactory explanation of Parkinson's observations. They then outline a new and more general theory of bureaucracy, in which bureaucrats maximize power, not by maximizing budgets, but by accumulating the loyalty of their subordinates and that of interest groups and the media. The paper then shows that this model does provide a consistent and indeed commonsense explanation of Parkinson's observations. All declining organizations might be expected to become top‐heavy with administrators, as Parkinson predicted, but the process need have nothing to do with bureaucratic expansionism. The paper concludes by stressing the important policy implications of Parkinson's Law for the rational administration of government in an era of declining budgets.

Sommaire. Selon une conception populaire, les bureaucrates ou les administrateurs sont régis par la loi de Parkinson: ils tendent à se multiplier. Cette loi découle de l'observation de Parkinson suivant laquelle, dans certaines organisations, le nombre des administrateurs continue à augmenter même lorsque la taille de l'organisation, mesurée par sa production ou par l'importance de sa main‐d'oeuvre directe, diminue. Nous considérons deux explications populaires de ce phénomène: le modèle du monopole politique et celui des bureaucrates maximiscurs de budgets. Nous montrons que ni l'une ni l'autre de ces théories est capable d'expliquer de façon satisfaisante les observations de Parkinson. Nous offrons done une nouvelle théorie, plus générale, de la bureaucratic, d'après laquelle les bureaucrates maximisent le pouvoir et non les budgets, en accumulant la loyauté de leurs subordonnés, celle des groupes impliqués et celle des media. Nous démontrons ensuite que ce modèle fournit une explication cohérente et en fait logique, des observations de Parkinson. Nous nous attendons à ce que toutes les organisations en perte de vitesse aient une quantité disproportionnée d'administrateurs, comme l'a prédit Parkinson, mais ce processus n'a rien à voir avec l'expansionnisme bureaucratique. Nous concluons cet article en insistant sur les conséquences importantes de la loi de Parkinson pour l'administration rationnelle du gouvernement en période de restrictions budgétaires.

‘Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.’‐C. N. Parkinson.