The state-centric approach suggests that the common trend of Canadian deference to authority leads to a government acting largely as an autonomous entity making decisions for the nation. Furthermore, state-centrism contends that the power in Canada is maintained by the few, namely the bureaucracy, which advises the Cabinet and the Prime Minister in their decisions. These decisions are c

onsidered patriarchal in nature since those in authority believe that what appears to be a general deference to authority is indicative of an entirely ignorant population.

The pluralist approach, on the other hand, appears to have increasing relevance when evaluating Canadian government and politics. It is also the most optimistic of the four approaches described by Dyck. This is largely due to its framework, which is quite similar to the illusive democratic ideal. In other words, rather than the majority of power being held by the select few, it is widely dispersed among the many factions in society. Furthermore, with proper organization, the demand of different groups among the masses can have an impact on those in authority. It is important to note, however, that even pluralists observe that the demands of different factions often compete. The resulting policies, which are supposed to place focus on the true issues of Canadian society, are actually a series of compromises.

Unlike other theorists, pluralists are not alarmed by the extent of bureaucratic power; rather, they postulate that the power of the Cabinet, the House of Commons, the courts, and other agencies limit the power of the bureaucracy. Furthermore, pluralists point out the inherent rivalry within the bureaucracy. This makes is difficult for any single bureaucrat, let alone the whole bureaucracy to become authoritarian.

While it is true that Canadians are generally ill-informed on issues pertaining to the Canadian government, the fact still remains that in an era where one can easily find a plethora of literature on any single topic and issues are open for public discussion, Canadians are becoming better informed. Granted, ignorance still runs rampant among the population; but, it is slowly decreasing in predominance. The recent issue where Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, ‘asked’ Paul Martin to step down from his post is just one example. The fact the Paul Martin is receiving increasing support shows that people are beginning to realize the many inadequacies within our governmental framework.

Educating the young about Canadian government and politics is also an important aspect to consider according to state-centred theorists. Just as easily as one can come across literature pointing out the inadequacies in our system, the state can use the school system to encourage each new generation of fresh minds to feel satisfied with the status quo or helpless to change it. Since education in the formative years has great influence, it becomes quite easy for one to disregard a new perspective if it conflicts with one’s own.

Some topics in this essay:
Elections Canada, Charter Rights, Prime Minister, , Educating Canadian, Amalgam Model, House Commons, Rights Pluralists, Rand Dyck, Paul Martin, public choice, canadian government, canadian government politics, government politics, class analysts, class analysis, public choice approach, choice approach, canadian politics, middle upper, upper classes, understanding canadian, middle upper classes, public opinion polls, understanding canadian politics,