May 2000 Fraser Forum

Features

• The Role of Subsidiarity in a Democracy - Gordon Gibson
  The idea of subsidiarity holds that authority should reside at the lowest level commen- surate with the information and resources for making decisions. Here's why it is crucial.
• The Impact of Globalization and Individualism on Governance - Owen Lippert
  Ottawa ought not to take Canadians' loyalty for granted.
• Fences for Improving Governance - Herbert Grubel
  Politicians sometimes subvert democracy. Here's a way to keep them in check.
• Is Electoral Fairness Economically Efficient? - Patrick Basham, Jason Clemens, & Debbie Roque
  The way citizens elect their representatives affect political outcomes. But do different electoral systems influence economic outcomes?
• Our Elected Officials Get Paid Too Little To Do Too Much - Peter Holle
  Should we pay government ministers paltry salaries for long hours of tedious, meaningless work? Not if we want to attract top talent.
• The Charter Revolution and the Court Party - F.L. Morton & Rainer Knopff
  In this new book, the authors argue that although judges are in the vanguard of the Charter revolution, they are being pushed there by money and social movements.
• The Supreme Court's Supremacy - Gordon Gibson
  Perhaps we have grown so distrustful of politicians that even non-elected judges look better. But here's an example of what happens when judges have law-making power.

Articles

• Nasdaq Follies? - Filip Palda
  No one knows what will come out of computers and the internet. One way to find out is for willing investors to put money into dot-com companies to see what happens.
• Curing Medicare - Martin Zelder
  Medicare does not live up to its noble intentions because it is defectively designed. How should we repair its flaws?
• Budget Round-Up: BC Stands Alone - Jason Clemens & Joel Emes
  As the federal government and all but two provinces have handed down their budgets, now is an appropriate time to assess the direction of those financial plans.
• Ottawa's New Bill Threatens Wildlife - Laura Jones
  It is difficult to imagine a worse way to protect endangered species than Ottawa's new Species at Risk Act.
• May Questions and Answers and May Graph - Joel Emes
  
• Shelter Costs and the Poor - Chris Sarlo
  Do Canada's poor spend excessively on shelter? Or is this just another popular myth?
• Trade and Tariff Tall Tales - Dexter Samida
  Economic nationalists have argued that tariffs were important in the development of the early American economy. Are they right?
• Think Tank Business is Booming - Lydia Miljan
  One bizarre initiative to come out of the federal government is the Policy Research Initiative, launched in July 1996.
• Editor's Notes - Kristin McCahon

Fraser Forum is published 12 times a year by The Fraser Institute, Vancouver, B.C. Canada.

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian economic and social research and educational organization. It has as its objective the redirection of public attention to the role of competitive markets in providing for the well-being of Canadians. Where markets work, the Institute’s interest lies in trying to discover prospects for improvement. Where markets do not work, its interest lies in finding the reasons. Where competitive markets have been replaced by government control, the interest of the Institute lies in documenting objectively the nature of the improvement or deterioration resulting from government intervention. The work of the Institute is assisted by an Editorial Advisory Board of internationally renowned economists. The Fraser Institute is a national, federally chartered non-profit organization financed by the sale of its publications and the tax-deductible contributions of its members, foundations, and other supporters.

For additional copies, or to become a member and receive Fraser Forum, write or call The Fraser Institute, 4th Floor, 1770 Burrard Street, Vancouver, B.C.,  V6J 3G7 Toll-free order line: 1-800-665-3558
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Visit our Web site at www.fraserinstitute.ca
Copyright © 2000 The Fraser Institute
Date of Issue: March 2000. Printed and bound in Canada.
Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #0087246
(ISSN 0827-7893)

Publishing editor: Michael Walker
Managing editor: Kristin McCahon
Designer: Kristin McCahon
Art design and assistance: David Cook Design
Cover image: Mike Miller Design + Art Inc.
Contributing editors: Patrick Basham, Jason Clemens, Peter Cowley, Joel Emes, Claudia Rebanks Hepburn, Laura Jones, Dexter Samida, Michael Walker, Martin Zelder
Finance and Administration: Michael Hopkins
Media Relations: Suzanne Walters

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