Political Constraints and the Province-Building Objective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11968089 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Garth Stevenson (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1980 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Pages | 265-265 |
| Publication date | 1980-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Canadian Public Policy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0317-0861 • E-ISSN: 1911-9917 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/3549928 |
| OpenAlex | W2027499399 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 3 |
The terms of the British North America Act of 1867 provide little indication of the role that has been assumed in practice by Canadian provincial governments. Section 92 of the Act, and the fragmentary records that survive from the conferences that drafted the terms of Confederation, suggest the limited, although not unimportant, role that was envisaged for them, a role mainly concerned with the regulation of private, family and social relationships, the control of municipal institutions, the administration of justice (but excluding the procedure in criminal matters) and 'Generally all Matters of a merely local or private Nature in the Province.' The constant repetition, throughout the sub-sections of Section 92, of the phrase, 'in the Province' suggests a deliberate intention to prevent provincial authorities from exercising powers that would have consequences outside the provincial boundaries, an intention also suggested by certain of its other terms, such as the prohibition of indirect taxation. There is little in the Act to suggest that provincial governments were intended to enjoy much jurisdiction over economic matters, for the major tools of economic policy at the time were confined almost exclusively to the central government. Provincial governments were admittedly given two related but distinct responsibilities that have proved to be of major economic significance: namely legislative jurisdiction over public lands and timber, and ownership of public lands and resources. However, these powers were apparently viewed more as sources of revenue for provincial treasuries than as powerful implements of economic policy. Even the revenues were expected to be modest, and remained so for many years after Confederation. In practice, as is generally known, provincial governments have acquired vast powers and responsibilities, particularly with regard to economic matters. In fact there is no other industrialized state, with the possible exception of Australia, in which a sub-national level of government enjoys as much power, or the central government as little, as is true in Canada today
Business · Political science · Politics · Canadian Identity and History · Canadian Policy and Governance · Law · Political Systems and Governance
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,07 |
| Citation span | 1982 - 2015 (34) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |