Welcome to Thinking Government

This website, a collaborative effort between David Johnson and Alana Lawrence, complements the fifth edition of Thinking Government: Public Administration and Politics in Canada, giving students access to up-to-date information on Canadian governments and governance and providing helpful resources.

Note that extension materials contain basic factual data usually presented in the form of tables and charts. Dispatch boxes are short presentations, like a news report, discussing certain issues and ideas respecting governmental policies and programs. Case studies, as the name suggests, are overviews and analysis of particular notable events in the lives of governments past and present. And white papers are even longer reports, and discussions, of political, managerial, and ideological tensions facing governments, again, past and present. The downloadable extras are tables, charts, and graphs coming from the main text.

The site is also the home of the Thinking Government Strategic Report, a semesterly update on current developments within the world of the federal government and its public service.

Finally, this web page consists of a bonus chapter on Canadian administrative law, a crucial but complex topic that goes beyond the basics of the curriculum for those serious about pursuing public administration careers.

Comments, queries, and advice are always welcome. Please contact UTP Book Publishing with feedback or suggestions.