The Unbroken Machine
Canada's Democracy in Action
Will be published approx. on 11. May 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
152 pages
978-1-4597-3825-6 (ISBN)
Description
The Hill Times: Best Books of 2017
What if it is not our political system that is broken, but our understanding of it?
Everybody thinks that it's the system that's broken in politics; but what if it's not the system that's broken but rather our understanding of it? What if everyone's proposals to make the system "more democratic" only wind up making things worse, and weaken our systems of accountability so much as to make them meaningless? What if it's our own ignorance that is killing democracy in this country?
Dale Smith looks at the critical gaps in civic literacy that have become endemic within Canadian political culture, wading through buzzwords and meaningless proposals to suggest real solutions. Designed for the lay reader, The Unbroken Machine seeks to explore our lack of civic literacy and show how our system of democracy should work - if only we were to engage with it the way it was meant to be.
What if it is not our political system that is broken, but our understanding of it?
Everybody thinks that it's the system that's broken in politics; but what if it's not the system that's broken but rather our understanding of it? What if everyone's proposals to make the system "more democratic" only wind up making things worse, and weaken our systems of accountability so much as to make them meaningless? What if it's our own ignorance that is killing democracy in this country?
Dale Smith looks at the critical gaps in civic literacy that have become endemic within Canadian political culture, wading through buzzwords and meaningless proposals to suggest real solutions. Designed for the lay reader, The Unbroken Machine seeks to explore our lack of civic literacy and show how our system of democracy should work - if only we were to engage with it the way it was meant to be.
Reviews / Votes
Smith is an entertaining writer, unquestionably knowledgeable - and concerned. * Globe and Mail * A lively primer on the Canadian parliamentary system * Literary Review of Canada * As an introduction to how Canadian government works (and doesn't), there is no better book than Smith's. * The Interim *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 150 mm
Thickness: 8 mm
Weight
227 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4597-3825-6 (9781459738256)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
03/2017
Dundurn Press
€10.49
Available for download
Person
Dale Smith is a freelance journalist in the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery, writing about politics full-time since the 2008 federal election. He has written for the Ottawa Citizen, the National Post, Maclean's, Canadian Business, the Canadian Press, iPolitics.ca, and the Hill Times. Dale lives in Ottawa.