Study
| EST. READ TIME 1 MIN.Government Failure in Canada, 1997-2004: A Survey of Reports from the Auditor General
This publication has been written to inform Canadians about the theories and insights of Public Choice Theory, to document government failure from the reports of the Auditor General, and , perhaps most importantly, to describe the mechanisms available to reduce government failure.The discussion of the limitations of government and subsequent government failures is wholly absent from debate in Canada where, unfortunately, we still assume that governments act benevolently and without institutional constraints. That this is not true and that government failure does occur should now be plain to all: the reports of the Auditor General of Canada provide concrete evidence of the existence, and the extent, of government failure in Canada. The Public Choice School of Economics, which applies traditional economic methods and techniques to explain the actions and decisions made by those who operate in the political marketplace, has striven to explain government failure empirically. This publication has been written to inform Canadians about the theories and insights of Public Choice Theory, to document government failure from the reports of the Auditor General, and , perhaps most importantly, to describe the mechanisms available to reduce government failure.
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Jason Clemens
Executive Vice President, Fraser Institute
Jason Clemens is the Executive Vice President of the Fraser Institute and the President of the Fraser Institute Foundation. Hehas an Honors Bachelors Degree of Commerce and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Windsor as well as a Post Baccalaureate Degree in Economics from Simon Fraser University. Before rejoining the Fraser Institute in 2012, he was the director of research and managing editor at the Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute and prior to joining the MLI, Mr. Clemens spent a little over three years in the United States with the San Francisco-based Pacific Research Institute. He has published over 70 major studies on a wide range of topics, including taxation, government spending, labor market regulation, banking, welfare reform, health care, productivity, and entrepreneurship. He has published over 300 shorter articles, which have appeared in such newspapers as The Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily, Washington Post, Globe and Mail, National Post, and a host of U.S., Canadian, and international newspapers. Mr. Clemens has been a guest on numerous radio and television programs across Canada and the United States. He has appeared before committees of both the House of Commons and the Senate in Canada as an expert witness and briefed state legislators in California. In 2006, he received the coveted Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 award presented by Caldwell Partners as well as an Odyssey Award from the University of Windsor. In 2011, he was awarded (along with his co-authors) the prestigious Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award for the best-selling book The Canadian Century. In 2012, the Governor General of Canada on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, presented Mr. Clemens with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contributions to the country.… Read more -
Mark Mullins
Mark Mullins is the former executive director of the Fraser Institute as well as the Institute's former director of Ontariopolicy studies. He has published numerous studies on government finance, tax policy, and value-for-money issues. Prior to joining the Fraser Institute in 2003, Dr. Mullins served as President of MSG Hedge Corporation, a privately owned consulting firm and as Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist at Midland Walwyn Capital Inc., where he was responsible for communicating the firm's outlook on the North American economy and financial markets. Dr. Mullins also brings extensive applied policy experience, having served as economic and fiscal policy advisor to the Canadian Alliance Party, the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Mark Mullins has an M.A. from the University of Western Ontario and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics and has written extensively on subjects such as Canadian tax reform, health policies, and stock market and investment issues. He is a member of Ontario's Task Force on Competitiveness, Productivity and Economic Progress and a regular media commentator.… Read more -
Niels Veldhuis
President, Fraser InstituteNiels Veldhuis serves as President of the Fraser Institute, Canada’s most influential think tank.In his over 20-plus-year career in publicpolicy, Niels has authored six books and more than 50 peer-reviewed studies on a wide range of economic topics. In 2011, he was awarded (along with his co-authors) the prestigious Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Award for the best-selling book, The Canadian Century.Highly regarded for his opinions and perspectives on major economic and social issues, Niels appears regularly in the media across Canada and the United States. He has written hundreds of commentaries that have appeared in over 50 newspapers, including the Globe and Mail, Wall Street Journal, National Post, and The Economist.Known for his ability to explain matters of economics and government policy in a down-to-earth and easily understood manner, Niels travels widely across North America. His speaking engagements extend to diverse audiences, including business groups, corporate gatherings, community organizations, and students.Niels has had the privilege of sharing the stage and moderating discussions with prominent business and political leaders from around the world. Notable individuals include Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, and BC Premier Gordon Campbell. He has also moderated discussions with distinguished Canadian journalists such as Chantal Herbert, Andrew Coyne, and Rex Murphy, as well as diplomats such as Canada’s Ambassador to China and Israel’s Ambassador to Canada. Niels moderated a discussion between United States Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in 2011 and has facilitated conversations with impactful authors like Mosab Hassan Yousef (author of "Son of Hamas") and Lord Conrad Black.Niels Veldhuis is an alumnus of Simon Fraser University, was one of Vancouver’s Top 40 under 40 by Business in Vancouver in 2010, and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).… Read more -
Christopher Glover
Christopher Glover was a Fiscal Studies Intern at The Fraser Institute in the summer of 2003. He completed a Bachelorof Commerce degree from the University of Toronto in 2003 and is currently attending the University of Toronto's law school.… Read more