The Policy Influence of Economic Ideas: Interests, Institutions and Innovation in Canada

Recently, considerable attention has been devoted to analyzing the role of economic ideas in political life and public policy. Much of this interest can be traced to efforts to make sense of the fundamental shifts that have occurred in the last decade or so in the governing agenda of almost all capitalist democracies. The collapse of the Keynesian compromise renewed basic conflict and debate over the role of the state in the economy and appropriate public policy goals and instruments. Facing such uncertainty, a wide range of policy actors has sought new frameworks to interpret changing conditions and guide strategic action.