Canada's free trade policy experience, from economic adjustment to civil participation

by Krouzil, Jan

The thesis hquires into the problematic of Canada's expenence with 'fke trade' pursued as a rnatter of public policy, It examines the institutionalization of 'fiee mde' by means of public policy and how it has affected Canada's policy capacity to facilitate a transition of its political economy to 'deeper gIobal inteption'. The dissertation argues that by default stricdy economic circurnstances had made embarking on the pursuit of 'ke trade' necessary. As a matter of Canadian public policy the expenence has proven to be problematic because, fmt, the public nature of the 'Free trade' initiative has largely been taken for granted, second, governments have dealt with its implications &ly incremenally, in a pngmatic, ad hoc rnanner and. third, the possibility that the 'fiee trade' policy may in fact hahr incompatibletendencies has largely been ignored. The study concludes that negiect to address the possibility of social and structural incongmities inheruig in the pursuit of 'îiee trade' exacerbates the chronic 'legitimating deficit' and perpetuates policy ïncoherence. Evaiuation of evidencc highlights the urgency of re-embeddiigcivii society into Canada's political econorny in order to facilitate its transition h m adjusment to participation in 'deeper'gIobd inteption'.