"In this landmark collection, A-list historians, political scientists, and insiders insightfully examine prime ministers and their cabinets since the days of Sir John A. Using the intriguing concept of ‘statecraft,’ they chronicle and analyse how prime ministers put cabinets together and assess their cabinet management techniques. The chapters, written with verve and style, offer astute and original analysis. Azzi and Dutil’s Statecraft is a certifiable must-read."

- Graham White, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Toronto,

"This volume is the most comprehensive by far of the various works on prime ministerial leadership in Canada. The analyses of the individual prime ministers range from excellent to superb. Each chapter is extensively documented, using both primary and secondary sources, balanced and insightful in its observations, and often enriched with pithy anecdotes and illustrations."

- Herman Bakvis, Professor Emeritus, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria,

Statecraft delves into the intricate relationships between Canadian prime ministers and their cabinets since Confederation. Through twenty critical essays, leading scholars systematically analyse the challenges and decisions faced by individual prime ministers from Sir John A. Macdonald to Justin Trudeau. The essays explore essential questions: What influenced cabinet appointments? How and why were ministers shuffled or dismissed? How did the drive for re-election shape the leadership styles employed by prime ministers?
At its core, the book examines statecraft – the art of decisive leadership in the face of shifting social, economic, and cultural realities. Statecraft involves the balancing act of maintaining government cohesion, prioritizing urgent issues, and navigating the relentless pursuit of political survival. Even the most seasoned leaders can master statecraft one day and falter the next.
Drawing on extensive research, Statecraft bridges history and political science, offering fresh perspectives on the strategies, decisions, and leadership techniques that have defined twenty prime ministers. This comprehensive volume sheds light on the evolving art of governance and its enduring challenges.
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This collection of innovative essays explores the politics of cabinet government in Canada through the lens of statecraft, revealing how Canadian prime ministers have exercised their leadership since 1867.
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List of Images
List of Tables
Acknowledgments

Introduction: The Idea of Cabinet Government
Patrice Dutil and Stephen Azzi

1. Statecraft: Theory and the Thirst for History
Patrice Dutil and Stephen Azzi

2. Sir John A. Macdonald and His Cabinets: The “Autocrat” in Power
Patrice Dutil

3. Alexander Mackenzie’s Statecraft: Looking for Stability Ex-Centrically
Ben Forster

4. The Cabinet in Chronic Crisis: The Lessons of Abbott, Thompson, Bowell, and Tupper
Ted Glenn

5. Pillars and Posts: Wilfrid Laurier’s Cabinet Management
J.P. Lewis

6. The Outsider: Robert Borden and his Cabinet
John English

7. Arthur Meighen: The Lost Opportunities of Leadership
Mary Janigan and Tom Kierans

8. Cabinet Management after the Collapse of the Two-Party System: Mackenzie King in the 1920s
Robert Wardhaugh

9. R.B. Bennett’s “One-Man Government”
Larry Glassford

10. Mackenzie King’s Upgrading of Prime Ministerial Power: Management, Luck, and Circumstance
Robert Bothwell

11. Louis St-Laurent: The Cabinet’s Centre of Gravity
Stephen Azzi

12. John Diefenbaker: The Chief Stands Alone
Patricia I. McMahon

13. Lester Pearson and Cabinet Government: The Diplomat in Charge
P.E. Bryden

14. Pierre Inter Pares: Cabinet under Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 1968–1979
Asa McKercher

15. “Welcome to the 1980s”: Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s Quasi-Gaullist Style
Frédéric Boily

16. Brian Mulroney: Statecraft for Radical Change
Raymond B. Blake

17. Jean Chrétien: The “Friendly Dictator”
Lori Turnbull

18. Paul Martin’s Cabinet: The Unforgiving Consequences of Flawed Statecraft
Patrice Dutil and Stephen Azzi

19. Stephen Harper: Alone at the Top
R. Paul Wilson

20. Justin Trudeau: “Government by Cabinet is Back”
Jeni Armstrong, Alex Marland, and Dan Arnold

Conclusion: The Mysterious Grammar of Canadian Statecraft
Stephen Azzi and Patrice Dutil

Contributors
Index

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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781487558970
Publisert
2025-09-09
Utgiver
University of Toronto Press
Vekt
700 gr
Høyde
229 mm
Bredde
152 mm
Dybde
27 mm
Aldersnivå
U, P, 05, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
522

Biografisk notat

Stephen Azzi is a professor of political management, history, and political science at Carleton University.

Patrice Dutil is a professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.