Issue Archive » Tags » Public Policy
The War Against Creative Destruction: Why Government Bailouts Only Make Things Worse
by Paul Beaudry on September 24, 2009 | Recession, Public Policy, Economy
Conventional wisdom quickly cemented around the notion that to deal with the economic windstorm, governments had to come to the rescue with funding to save failing businesses. In the long-term this does more harm to the business world than anything because businesses fail to curb risky behaviour and are enabled to continue poor decisions, knowing the state will be there to rescue them.
Read more » | 0 commentsIntroduction: Keeping a Little Perspective: Avoiding Mistakes of the Past on the Road to Recovery
by Gwyn Morgan on September 24, 2009 | Public Policy, Economy
c2c Advisory Council member and retired CEO Gwyn Morgan provides an overview of the current issue of c2c and his own thoughts on the recent economic turmoil.
Read more » | 1 commentsCitizens, the State, and the Crisis: How Canadians can Emerge as Masters, Not Servants, of Government
by Bill Robson on September 24, 2009 | Public Policy, Economy
A plethora of different theories have been put forward in recent months as to the root causes of the recent financial crisis. In this insightful and thought-provoking piece, economist William Robson offers up three main factors to explain the implosion, analyzes why Canada has weathered the storm fairly well and explains what limited government advocates must do to ensure we come out of the recession stronger, more wealthy and freer than before.
Read more » | 0 commentsFearful Symmetry: The Fall and Rise of Canada’s Founding Values
by Brian Lee Crowley on September 24, 2009 | Public Policy, United States, Economy
An excerpt from Chapter 1 of Brian Lee Crowley’s provocative and scintillating new book, Fearful Symmetry: The Fall and Rise of Canada’s Founding Values.
Read more » | 0 commentsBook Review: It’s the Regime, Stupid! A Report From the Cowboy West on Why Stephen Harper Matters
by John von Heyking on November 19, 2009 | Fiscal Policy, Public Policy, Philosophy, Book Review, Democracy
Combining philosophical, literary, and historical analysis, social science, and personal anecdote, Cooper analyzes the “logic” of the Canadian “regime.”
Read more » | 0 commentsThe Conservative Vision of Social Justice
by Monte Solberg on November 26, 2009 | Fiscal Policy, Public Policy, Future of Conservatism
In this article Monte Solberg argues that Canadian conservatives are missing an important opportunity to dramatically improve the effectiveness of well over half of current government spending and to dramatically improve their political popularity at the same time. But doing this requires the government to define and communicate their idea of a conservative vision of social justice. Solberg looks at the rise of this idea in the US, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Read more » | 0 commentsFreedom to Build: Homes for the Homeless
by Fergus Hodgson on November 26, 2009 | Property, Fiscal Policy, Public Policy, Future of Conservatism
The homeless of Canada, as a growing and suffering demographic, warrant our concern. Contrary to public perceptions, approximately half of these individuals are employed, and even more are willing to work. However, since the cost of housing has greatly outpaced wage growth, minimum wage and low paying jobs are no longer sufficient to cover accommodation in many of Canada’s major cities. The homeless are primarily a symptom of a restrained housing supply, particularly the low-cost variety. While numerous government programs and community initiatives have sought to address homelessness, they have proved ineffectual and often counterproductive. The homeless population has continued to expand, along with the relevant waiting lists and government agencies. These initiatives will continue to fail while the underlying cause, the many impediments to and the lack of private housing, is not addressed.
Read more » | 3 commentsCommunity is not a Liberal Word
by Dave Quist and Andrea Mrozek on November 26, 2009 | Family, Public Policy, Future of Conservatism
Strong community acts as a powerful force to keep government in check. Strong communities are made up of strong families, yet families are on the decline in Canada today. No wonder then, that government sits at an unwieldy 42 per cent of GDP. Social conservatives acknowledge the importance of strong families in creating community, which in turn is able to support families and social programs today taken on by our welfare state. Though it may be true that classical liberals of yesteryear (conservatives today) paid little attention to community—this is because they took strong communities for granted. We can no longer afford to do so, as the ongoing decline of strong families will continue to create impetus and motivation for larger and larger government programs.
Read more » | 0 commentsSocial Conservatives and the Harper Government
by Richard Bastien on November 26, 2009 | Traditionalism, Family, Fiscal Policy, Public Policy, Future of Conservatism
Social conservatives focus on what is permanent in human nature, emphasize the importance of tradition, trust in a market economy and put the family ahead of the state. Rejecting John Rawls’ notion that a political order can be established that is neutral between diverse moral and religious worldviews, as well as the concept of a specifically Christian law, they also believe that the origin of enacted laws is the natural moral law, a legal philosophy developed by Greek and Roman thinkers long before Christianity appeared on the historical scene. The Harper government has been reasonably supportive of a social conservative vision, as attested by its implementation of the Child Care Allowance Program, the abolition of the Court Challenges Program and its balanced environmental policies. There seems little doubt that the CPC is the national party most capable of addressing other issues of particular concern to conservative-minded people, notably as regards the interpretation of freedom of expression and freedom of consciences, as well as the reinforcement of the traditional family through family taxation.
Read more » | 0 commentsThe Audacity of Despair: Book Review of We Are Doomed: Reclaiming Conservative Pessimism
by Grant Morgan on December 14, 2009 | Public Policy, Future of Conservatism, Book Review
One inevitable side-effect of the disastrous performance of the U.S. Republicans in recent elections, and the apparent revival of statist economics across the western world, has been a sudden proliferation of books offering theories on the decline of conservatism and prescriptions for its revival. Derbyshire, however, makes a surprisingly energetic and amusing case for why conservatives should be unrelentingly pessimistic.
Read more » | 0 commentsThe other name for “profiling”: Smart detective work
by Mark Milke on January 14, 2010 | MiddleEast, Human Rights, Public Policy, Foreign Affairs, National Defense
The quickest way through security for everyone is if airport staff are allowed to practice quick detective work. Profiling is a reality. We might as well admit it, collectively lighten up a bit, and thus get through security quicker.
Read more » | 0 commentsThis Month's Featured Article
Has treason run its course in Canada?
Don’t look for another case of treason any time soon argues Michael Taube in a column that supplements this month’s treason issue…
Read More » | 0 commentsMost Read
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