Pols/Hist 334 Essay Statement
Samantha Twist
October 2, 2019
1. Examine some of the positive and negative effects of the Charter of Rights on the Canadian political
system. Has it provided a new avenue for disadvantaged group to change public policy? Has it eroded
the role of parliament? Does it strengthen or weaken democracy?
2. My hypothesis is that the charter of rights has not provided a new avenue for disadvantaged groups
to change public policy, has eroded the role of parliament, but has strengthened democracy.
His note: ok but many authors have argued that special interest groups, especially feminists and
genderists, could not have achieved their agenda democratically but went to sympathetic
institutions/people and courts to forward their agendas (democratic and sometimes a charter should
not be doing) and this is e.g/somebody Morton and/or Knopff, RI Mantiry most devauses brach
Preliminary Outline:
Section 1: Opening Paragraph including hypothesis (that the charter of rights has not provided a new
avenue for disadvantaged groups to change public policy, has eroded the role of parliament, but has
strengthened democracy.)
Section 2: The Charter of Rights and the role of parliament
Address A Culture of Rights
McLachlin, 2007
Section 3: The Charter of Rights and democracy
Ch 7 of Petter, Andrew 2010
McLachlin, 2007
Section 4: The Charter and Judges
Comment on the Globe and Mail article by Huscroft
Section 8 of of F. L. Morton, 1987
Section 5: The Charter of Rights and trying to change public policy
Ch 10 of Petter, Andrew 2010?
Adress A Culture of Rights
Ch. 3 of Cairns 1992
Section 3 of F. L. Morton, 1987
Section 6: The Charter and Minority Groups
Ch 5 A Culture of Rights
Comment on CBC News article by Schwartz, 2012
Section 7: The Charter and it’s legitimacy
Samantha Twist
October 2, 2019
1. Examine some of the positive and negative effects of the Charter of Rights on the Canadian political
system. Has it provided a new avenue for disadvantaged group to change public policy? Has it eroded
the role of parliament? Does it strengthen or weaken democracy?
2. My hypothesis is that the charter of rights has not provided a new avenue for disadvantaged groups
to change public policy, has eroded the role of parliament, but has strengthened democracy.
His note: ok but many authors have argued that special interest groups, especially feminists and
genderists, could not have achieved their agenda democratically but went to sympathetic
institutions/people and courts to forward their agendas (democratic and sometimes a charter should
not be doing) and this is e.g/somebody Morton and/or Knopff, RI Mantiry most devauses brach
Preliminary Outline:
Section 1: Opening Paragraph including hypothesis (that the charter of rights has not provided a new
avenue for disadvantaged groups to change public policy, has eroded the role of parliament, but has
strengthened democracy.)
Section 2: The Charter of Rights and the role of parliament
Address A Culture of Rights
McLachlin, 2007
Section 3: The Charter of Rights and democracy
Ch 7 of Petter, Andrew 2010
McLachlin, 2007
Section 4: The Charter and Judges
Comment on the Globe and Mail article by Huscroft
Section 8 of of F. L. Morton, 1987
Section 5: The Charter of Rights and trying to change public policy
Ch 10 of Petter, Andrew 2010?
Adress A Culture of Rights
Ch. 3 of Cairns 1992
Section 3 of F. L. Morton, 1987
Section 6: The Charter and Minority Groups
Ch 5 A Culture of Rights
Comment on CBC News article by Schwartz, 2012
Section 7: The Charter and it’s legitimacy
