Statecraft delves into the intricate relationships between Canadian prime ministers and their cabinets since Confederation. Through twenty critical essays, leading scholars systematically analyse the challenges and decisions faced by individual prime ministers from Sir John A. Macdonald to Justin Trudeau. The essays explore essential questions: What influenced cabinet appointments? How and why were ministers shuffled or dismissed? How did the drive for re-election shape the leadership styles employed by prime ministers?
At its core, the book examines statecraft – the art of decisive leadership in the face of shifting social, economic, and cultural realities. Statecraft involves the balancing act of maintaining government cohesion, prioritizing urgent issues, and navigating the relentless pursuit of political survival. Even the most seasoned leaders can master statecraft one day and falter the next.
Drawing on extensive research, Statecraft bridges history and political science, offering fresh perspectives on the strategies, decisions, and leadership techniques that have defined twenty prime ministers. This comprehensive volume sheds light on the evolving art of governance and its enduring challenges.
List of Images
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Idea of Cabinet Government
Patrice Dutil and Stephen Azzi
1. Statecraft: Theory and the Thirst for History
Patrice Dutil and Stephen Azzi
2. Sir John A. Macdonald and His Cabinets: The "Autocrat" in Power
Patrice Dutil
3. Alexander Mackenzies Statecraft: Looking for Stability Ex-Centrically
Ben Forster
4. The Cabinet in Chronic Crisis: The Lessons of Abbott, Thompson, Bowell,
and Tupper
Ted Glenn
5. Pillars and Posts: Wilfrid Lauriers Cabinet Management
J.P. Lewis
6. The Outsider: Robert Borden and his Cabinet
John English
7. Arthur Meighen: The Lost Opportunities of Leadership
Mary Janigan and Tom Kierans
8. Cabinet Management after the Collapse of the Two-Party System: Mackenzie
King in the 1920s
Robert Wardhaugh
9. R.B. Bennetts "One-Man Government"
Larry Glassford
10. Mackenzie Kings Upgrading of Prime Ministerial Power: Management, Luck,
and Circumstance
Robert Bothwell
11. Louis St-Laurent: The Cabinets Centre of Gravity
Stephen Azzi
12. John Diefenbaker: The Chief Stands Alone
Patricia I. McMahon
13. Lester Pearson and Cabinet Government: The Diplomat in Charge
P.E. Bryden
14. Pierre Inter Pares: Cabinet under Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 19681979
Asa McKercher
15. "Welcome to the 1980s": Pierre Elliott Trudeaus Quasi-Gaullist Style
Frédéric Boily
16. Brian Mulroney: Statecraft for Radical Change
Raymond B. Blake
17. Jean Chrétien: The "Friendly Dictator"
Lori Turnbull
18. Paul Martins Cabinet: The Unforgiving Consequences of Flawed
Statecraft
Patrice Dutil and Stephen Azzi
19. Stephen Harper: Alone at the Top
R. Paul Wilson
20. Justin Trudeau: "Government by Cabinet is Back"
Jeni Armstrong, Alex Marland, and Dan Arnold
Conclusion: The Mysterious Grammar of Canadian Statecraft
Stephen Azzi and Patrice Dutil
Contributors
Index
Stephen Azzi is a professor of political management, history, and political science at Carleton University.
Patrice Dutil is a professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
