Doing Politics Differently?

Women have reached the highest levels of public office in Canada’s provinces and territories, but what difference – if any – has their rise to the top made? Have they changed the content, tone, and style of politics? What role has gender played in their triumph and defeat?

In Doing Politics Differently? leading researchers from across the country assess the track records of eleven premiers, including their impact on policies of particular interest to women and their influence on the tenor of legislative debate and the recruitment of other women as party candidates, cabinet ministers, and senior bureaucrats.

Canada stands out for the variety and number of women who have reached the top in subnational government. By evaluating the performance of women premiers across the country and comparing their records with those of men who preceded and succeeded them, this innovative volume probes how important demographic diversity is to government decision making.