Description
The conditions of colonial politics in Canada between 1760 and 1848
produced features that became permanent landmarks of post-Confederation
Canadian politics -- sharp partisan battles, intense use of patronage,
strong one-man dominance in party leadership, and a 'statist'
orientation not only in government in Ottawa but also in Ontario and
Quebec. In this compelling book Gordon Stewart deals with these topics
in an original way by placing Canadian politics in a comparative
context against the background of political and constitutional
developments in England and America between 1688 and the 1820's.
Reviews
Stewart has written a book that is going to make teachers and students of Canadian history -- ultimately that is all of us -- think about Canada, its government and its politics in new and different ways.
- Kenneth Carty
Stewart has shown that Canadian politics, from the early European settlements to the present day, have been shaped by some very definite ideas, forces and events. In his concise, very readable, and thoughtful book he has gone some distance toward explaining these forces. Anyone interested in understanding some of the unique features of the Canadian system would profit from reading this book.
- Greg Turko
There is always room for a fresh analysis, a new approach to an old problem, especially when it comes from a thoughtful outside observer. This is what Gordon Stewart provides in The Origins of Canadian Politics ... a useful and very readable contribution to Canadian political history.
- Paul Crunican