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Distributed for University of British Columbia Press

Advocacy Groups

Advocacy Groups uses the Audit standards of responsiveness, inclusiveness, and participation to examine advocacy groups in Canada and assess the ways that they contribute to, or detract from, Canadian democracy. It argues that group activity represents an important form of political participation. Though some interests face greater organizational challenges than others, advocacy groups can play critical compensatory roles for interests that are often unrepresented in traditional political institutions. It also finds that while Canadian advocacy groups employ a wide range of strategies to draw attention to their concerns, those with greater financial resources generally have greater access to government decision-makers. This has been accentuated by recent trends in the reduction of government funding to advocacy groups. The book concludes with several recommendations for ’best practices’ that groups can follow in their internal organization and efforts to influence public policy, as well as for actions that governments can take to engage in constructive consultation with groups.

188 pages | © 2004

Canadian Democratic Audit


Table of Contents

Tables

Foreword

Acknowledgments

1 Advocacy Groups and Canadian Democracy

2 Perspectives on Advocacy Groups and Democracy

3 Who Participates in Advocacy Groups?

4 The Internal Life of Groups

5 Which Interests and Identities Are Mobilized?

6 Talking to Governments

7 Advocacy Group Involvement in Elections, Litigation, and Protests

8 Who Prevails?

9 Enhancing the Democratic Role of Advocacy Groups

Discussion Questions

Additional Reading

Works Cited

Index

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