Commissions of inquiry are a vital and ubiquitous part of the Canadian policy landscape. Established to answer the tough questions, they have been charged with examining almost every aspect of public life. This collection brings together leading Canadian scholars working in political science, public policy, and law to explore fundamental questions about the relationship between commissions of inquiry and public policy for the first time: What role do commissions play in policy change? Would policy change have happened without them? Why do some commissions result in policy changes while others do not? In search of answers, Commissions of Inquiry and Policy Change analyses ten landmark inquiries ranging across a variety of political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, and legal issues. Filling a significant gap in the literature, this volume will be a valuable resource for scholars and students of Canadian political science, public policy, law, and history, as well as a broader audience of readers interested in commissions of inquiry and their role in Canadian policymaking.

Gregory Inwood, Carolyn Johns, and Patricia O'Reilly offer unique insights into intergovernmental policy capacity, revealing what key decision-makers and policy advisors behind the scenes think the barriers are to improved intergovernmental policy capacity and what changes they recommend. Senior public servants from all jurisdictions in Canada discuss the ideas, institutions, actors, and relations that assist or impede intergovernmental policy capacity. Covering good and bad economic times and comparing insiders' concerns and recommendations with those of scholars of federalism, public policy, and public administration, they provide a comparative analysis of major policy areas across fourteen governments. Intergovernmental policy capacity, while of increasing importance, is not well understood. By examining how the Canadian federation copes with today's policy challenges, the authors provide guideposts for federations and governments around the world working on the major policy issues of our day.