“In this sweeping analysis of the internal divisions and identities that shape our nation’s political fabric, Donald J. Savoie lays bare the contradictions of a federal state and national political institutions that often fail to reflect Canada’s deeply entrenched regional, economic, linguistic, and cultural fault lines. The result has been politics of victimhood and grievance. Even so, those differences have created a national will to overcome them. Writing with clarity and conviction, Savoie distills the complexities of federalism into an easily accessible exploration of our nation. He captures the essence of a resilient Canadian spirit, where compromise and inclusive national social programs have forged an attachment to Canada greater than the forces that divide us.”

—2024 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize Jury (Joanna Chiu, Dale Eisler, and Kathleen Wynne)

“For three decades Anglo-American politicians have been reorganizing the public service to follow private-sector management models. As policy insider Donald Savoie illustrates in Whatever Happened to the Music Teacher?, the experiment has been a failure. Then he takes us further, showing in up-close detail how governments make decisions and how to better organize the public sector for results.” – 2013 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing Jury (Licia Corbella, Jane O’Hara, and Doug Saunders)