Politics, Policy, and Government in British Columbia

Book excerpt: Politics, Policy, and Government in British Columbia examines the political life of Canada's dynamic Pacific province. Each of the seventeen chapters, written by well-known experts, provides an up-to-date portrait and analysis of one of the many faces of B.C. politics. Taken together they provide a clear and comprehensive overview of the dominant themes and issues that have been the distinguishing features of the province's political life. Key elements of the book include sections on: the political setting, with discussions of BC's political culture and economy, and its relations with the rest of Canada and its own Native communities; B.C.-style politics, which focus on electoral and parliamentary party politics, the changing place of women in BC public life, and the critical role of the media in explaining it all to British Columbians; governing the province, with accounts of the premier and cabinet, the bureaucracy that delivers most government services, and the complex system -- from the police to the courts -- that provides the administration of justice and the rule of law; and contemporary policy issues, with clear explanations of the intricacies of fiscal and social policy, analyses of recent conflicts over forest policy and environmental protection, a discussion of the role of lobbyists, and an examination of what difference is made when NDP governments are elected. Anyone interested in B.C. or its politics will find this book an informative, up-to-date record of the processes and events that have marked B.C.'s past and will continue to shape its future.