The changing nature of intergovernmental relations in Canada

This thesis seeks to explain how the federal government has been able to gain policy influence over areas of provincial jurisdiction. The diplomatic theory of intergovernmental relations has long been used by scholars to explain intergovernmental relations in Canada. However, the diplomatic theory and its dependence on the assumption of co-equality between provincial and federal governments fails to adequately explain the increase of federal policy influence at the provincial level. A re-examination of the nature of intergovernmental relations reveals that it is the federal government's sole ability to articulate a national interest combined with its ability to enforce this interest that has led to increased federal activity in provincial policy spheres. The development of the Council of the Federation as an institutional response to increased federal intrusion and the effects that the Council of the Federation will have on intergovernmental relations will also be explored.