Party Unity and Discipline in Canadian Politics

Anyone with a passing understanding of Canadian politics is aware of the stubborn presence of party discipline in the parliamentary system. It is not a phenomenon that has been left to the stuffy corners of the ivory tower. Political actors and the media have complained about party discipline for de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCanadian journal of political science Vol. 54; no. 1; pp. 230 - 232
Main Author Lewis, J. P.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.03.2021
Subjects
Discipline
Legislation
Legislatures
Parliamentary systems
Parliaments
Political leadership
Political parties
Political science
Politics
Review Essay/Essaie critique
Voters
Canada
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Summary:Anyone with a passing understanding of Canadian politics is aware of the stubborn presence of party discipline in the parliamentary system. It is not a phenomenon that has been left to the stuffy corners of the ivory tower. Political actors and the media have complained about party discipline for decades. Reforms have been proposed; party leaders have promised new ways forward. As a central trait of Canadian Parliament, party discipline has driven away voters—it has even inspired the development of new political parties. What role can Canadian political science play in understanding party discipline 75 years after these familiar sentiments appeared in the predecessor to this journal: “How could this control [party discipline] be destroyed, and the individual member be made an independent critic of government and of legislation, and a responsible servant of the people” (Morton, 1946: 136)? It turns out Canadian political science has much to offer. With the publication of J. F. Godbout's Lost on Division: Party Unity in the Canadian Parliament and Alex Marland's Whipped: Party Discipline in Canada, 2020 has been a monumental year for the study of Canadian Parliament and political parties.
ISSN:0008-4239
1744-9324
DOI:10.1017/S0008423920001146