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An institutional analysis of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission

University of British Columbia

This paper analyzes the effects of Canadian institutions on the development, structure, and mandate of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission as a modern regulatory agency. The research focuses on Canadian institutions of federalism and Westminster parliamentary government in order to identify key CRTC features and outcomes that reflect these institutions. This analysis is developed by beginning with a general overview of the literature regarding the effects of institutions in order to identify the significance according to institutional theory. Further, the rise of regulatory regimes and status of regulatory agencies are detailed in order to give greater context to the CRTC. The evidence suggests that the institutions of both federalism and Westminster parliamentary government have influence on the structure and mandate of the CRTC. The primary conclusion of the research is that the CRTC is an institution of Westminster parliament but it is not an institution of federalism per se; rather, it is an institution that results from efforts to manage the effects of Canadian federalism. The research concludes that institutional analysis of regulatory agencies is a legitimate and viable research area, and suggests several valuable future research pursuits.

Text

2015-10-24

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/54780

Political Science

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/