Comparative Issues in Party and Election Finance

This book is one of 23 volumes of research commissioned by the Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing, and one of five volumes within this series dealing specifically with party and election finance.

Because the issue of money in elections is as old as democracy, the experience of other countries is instructive. The studies in this volume offer Canadians information about approaches to funding political parties and elections in the United States and Western Europe.

The studies by Herbert Alexander and Robert Mutch exmaine how the United States has approached issues such as contribution limits and the disclosure of election finances. The latter study provides explicit comparisons to Canada, noting the constitutional roleof the Supreme Court in each country. Jane Jenson draws on Western European experience to propose and assess reforms for the public funding for party foundations is documented by Michael Pinto-Duschinsky.

The studies approach theirm aterial from a historical perspective, noting the uniqueness of the constitutions, institutions, and traditions of the countries reviewed. The authors provide background essential to any consideration of whether foreign experience might serve as a model for Canada.