Money Politics and Democracy by Lisa Young, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters

In 2004, Jean Chrétien’s Liberals banned corporations andunions from funding political parties. In 2008, opposition leaders wereprepared to defeat the Conservative government over its proposal toeliminate public subsidies to political parties. In Money, Politics, and Democracy, Lisa Young and HaroldJansen lead a distinguished group of political scientists in exploringthe issues that led to the dramatic showdown. Are publicly fundedparties compatible with the basic tenets of democracy? What effect haveparty finance reforms had on the balance of power between parties anddonors, on the relationship between national parties and localorganizations, on electoral competition? This timely volume revealsthat the financial centre of gravity for political parties is shiftingbetween national and local organizations as individual donors replaceunions and corporations. To ensure their financial survival, partiesmust now maximize their numbers of seats and votes. The first comprehensive study of modern campaign finance reforms inCanada, Money, Politics, and Democracy suggests that campaignfinance reforms have shaped party organization and electoralcompetition, contributing to successive minority governments. | Money Politics and Democracy by Lisa Young, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters