Unfinished business
Subtitle: the remaking of Toronto.
Published: 2005
Language: eng
Number of pages: 387
Description: In 1997, the Conservative government of Ontario chose to amalgamate Metropolitan Toronto and its six constituent municipalities, but to leave the 905-belt surrounding Toronto untouched. In a second policy choice that affected Toronto more than its surrounding neighbours, a number of provincial responsibilities were downloaded to municipal governments. In making those two interconnected decisions, the provincial government selected, from a very crowded policy stream, a set of policy options that pleased almost nobody. This decision raises two related questions: How was it possible, given intense opposition and a range of solid policy alternatives, for the government to adopt a policy that flew in the face of over 200 years of municipal history? When the provincial government reached into the policy stream for solutions, why did it select the model of amalgamation and downloading that it did?The answer to the first question draws on the "policy window" model proposed by John Kingdon. Kingdon argues that drastic, wrenching change is possible when a "problems window," a "political window," or both, opens. A problems window opened when the GTA Task Force released its report in January of 1996, leading to widespread public recognition of---and demands for a solution to---a set of problems. A political window, the most common of which is a regime change, opened when the neoliberal government of Mike Harris replaced the social democratic government of Bob Rae. The Task Force found itself reporting to a new government with different perspectives and priorities.The answer to the second question is twofold. First, the provincial government selected from the ideas that were available in the policy stream those that meshed with its conceptions of democracy and efficiency. The open policy window made it possible for the government to control the range and scope of the ideas given serious consideration, and to avoid or ignore those ideas that were unpalatable to its neoliberal philosophy of shrinking the state and reducing provincial expenditures. Second, the Conservative government chose a set of policy options unlikely to risk political repercussions in the 905-belt, where its partisan political base was concentrated disproportionately.
Notes: Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-06, Section: A, page: 2374.