Governance (Political Science 100)
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Values spectrum
5 - Strong environmental values
On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely supportive of jobs in the forest industry and 5 being extremely supportive of environmental conservation, how would you rate your simulation group's values?
4- Moderate environmental values
2 - moderate pro development values
3 - neutral1 - Strong pro development values
Today’s AgendaDivision of Powers Parliamentary Government
Institutions, Forms of LawProblems
Modifications
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Institutional Design
Who makes public policy? Why does it matter?
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Essential Elements of Authority Division of powers Head of state PM or premier Cabinet Members of
legislature
Legislatures Minister Appointed officials Bureaucracies Courts
Sustainable Forest Policy 5
Federal Division of Powers• Provincial jurisdiction
paramount– ownership of lands– including timber
• Federal jurisdiction– trade– spending
(reforestation, research)
– Indians– fisheries– criminal law power
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http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110107/peter-kent-on-new-job-as-environment-minister-110107/
Parliamentary Government – Institutions - Legislature MLA – members of
legislative assembly sits infrequently (46-
135 days) majority rule – government
must have support of majority
party discipline – all members must vote how their party tells them to▪ Party policy set by caucus – in
reality by cabinet and especially leader
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Source: http://thetyee.ca/Views/2007/02/09/NiceGig/
Parliamentary Government – Institutions - Executive
executive lieutenant governor
(ceremonial) premier and cabinet
▪ Premier: leader of the party with the most seats in the legislature
▪ Cabinet: selected by the Premier from members of the legislature of the premier’s party
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Parliamentary Government – Institutions - Judicial
Provincial Court BC Supreme Court Provincial Court of
Appeals (or Federal)
Supreme Court of Canada
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Parliamentary Government – Forms of Law
statuteenabling legislationAct of legislatureWood first bill
regulationdelegated legislationorder in councilcabinet (informal)lieutenant governor in council (formal)
contracts, permits
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January 15, 2009 Sustainable Energy Policy 11
Diagram
Parliamentary Government -- IdealRepresentative, Responsible
Governmentparties compete for votes (platforms)mandateopportunity to governaccountable at next election
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Problems
expertise and bureaucracy politics-administration dichotomy
divining policy mandate minority-based majorities
push for different voting rules participatory values
push for new forms of consultation
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Modifications – See Chapter 1 in Luckert et al
Multi-stakeholderism Legalism Increasing role for First Nations Certification Community forestry Initiative, referendum, recall (not
discussed) Electoral reform (failed)
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Governance – Broad Themes provincial
dominance executive
dominance legitimacy problems minor modifications policy style:
executive-centered bargaining norm of consultation
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcgovphotos/6163866483/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Official Themes so far1. Policies are produced
through governance processes, influenced by environment and markets.
2. Governance addresses who decides, who participates, at what level of government, and with which instruments
3. Canadian forest policy is dominated by the provincial level of government
4. BC’s government is dominated by the executive, particularly the premier
5. Courts have played a limited role in forest policy, with the exception of Aboriginal issues, because of the discretionary nature of BC statutes
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Values spectrum
5 - Strong environmental values
On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely supportive of jobs in the forest industry and 5 being extremely supportive of environmental conservation, how would you rate your simulation group's values?
4- Moderate environmental values
2 - moderate pro development values
3 - neutral1 - Strong pro development values
Institutional Design
Core issue: allocation of decision making authority
Organizations have biases balance of preferences can change as
location of authority changes
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Institutional design - horizontal
5 - Strong environmental values
4- Moderate environmental values
2 - moderate pro development values
3 - neutral1 - Strong pro development values
MFLNRO MoE
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Institutional Design - vertical
5 - Strong environmental values
4- Moderate environmental values
2 - moderate pro development values
3 - neutral1 - Strong pro development values
Global Markets
CanadaBCForest Dependent Communities
Government Actors -Objectives, Resources: Politicians
resource: authority
Objectives: reelection, policy objectives, power reelection comes
first -- fundamental constraint
effect: public opinion matters
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resources authority expertise
objectives policy objectives power (budgets, jurisdiction) autonomy
effect: powerful organizational inertia
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Government Actors -Objectives, Resources: Bureaucrats
Themes so far1. Policies are produced
through governance processes, influenced by environment and markets.
2. Governance addresses who decides, who participates, at what level of government, and with which instruments
3. Canadian forest policy is dominated by the provincial level of government
4. BC’s government is dominated by the executive, particularly the premier
5. Courts have played a limited role in forest policy, with the exception of Aboriginal issues, because of the discretionary nature of BC statutes
6. Institutional design matters because the balance of preferences may change as the location of authority changes
7. Politicians are primarily driven by electoral incentives, making public opinion a significant constraint on government action
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