Power and influence in political Ottawa: a primer
May. 18, 2009
Power is situational or context-dependent. In the political arena, power depends heavily on the appearance of power. Others believe that you have it, and will use it.
Ottawa has been called "power town." The news media are full of stories about the Prime Minister's latest use (or alleged abuse) of power, and of who is the "power behind the throne" in this era of court government. Many columns are devoted to who is "hot" and who is "not" in terms of having influence. The announcement of the retirement of Kevin Lynch as clerk of the Privy Council is a good time to reflect on the
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