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Political Science General

The Roles of Public Opinion Research in Canadian Government

by (author) Christopher Page

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Aug 2006
Category
General
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780802093776
    Publish Date
    Aug 2006
    List Price
    $49.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780802090393
    Publish Date
    Sep 2006
    List Price
    $93.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442682238
    Publish Date
    Aug 2006
    List Price
    $93.00

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Description

It is a common assumption that governments use public opinion research primarily to help them make popular decisions about major policy issues but few scholars have ever looked beyond this assumption to investigate its veracity. In The Roles of Public Opinion Research in Canadian Government, Christopher Page pulls back the curtain on the uses of polls and focus groups.

Stressing public opinion on policy rather than on support for parties, Page explores the relationships between government officials and pollsters, and the contributions of public opinion research to the policy process. Three high-profile policies are considered in depth: the patriation of the constitution and the establishment of the Charter of Rights by the Trudeau government, the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax by the Mulroney government, and the controversial strengthening of gun control by the Chrétien government.

The Roles of Public Opinion Research in Canadian Government demonstrates that opinion research has a greater variety of roles than is often recognized, and that, despite conventional wisdom, its foremost impact is to help governments determine how to communicate with citizens. It is an essential contribution to the study of Canadian politics, filling a major gap in the scholarship.

About the author

Christopher Page has served as priest in the Diocese of Rupert's Land and is currently rector of St. Philip's Anglican/Episcopal Church in Victoria. He was trained in centering prayer by Cynthia Bourgeault, and has been a presenter at the B.C. Chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society, a retreat leader at the Sisters of St. Anne Glenairely Retreat Centre and the Sorrento Centre. Christopher lives in Victoria with his wife, Heather, and their two daughters.

Christopher Page's profile page