The Struggle For Jurisdiction: Regionalism Versus Rationalism

Territory, national versus regional, has been at the basis ofclaims to power in most federations, and Canada is no exception.But regionalism has had to contend with another perspectiveon political power in Canada: economic rationalism or entrepreneurism,which views its own conduct and that of government as the maximizationof economic profit. As advocated by the federal government,most particularly under Trudeau, economic rationalism conceivedof a division of powers that is efficient, least costly, flexible,hierarchical, systematic, and rational. This pursuit of omnicompetenceand unrestricted jurisdiction has resulted in unilateral federalisminitiated by Ottawa and rejoindered by provinces. It constitutesa major challenge to cooperative relations and an abdicationby the national government of its brokerage role between theinterests of the extensive and intensive communities in Canada.