In 2004, Jean Chrétien’s Liberals banned unions and corporations from contributing financially to political parties. In 2008, opposition leaders were prepared to defeat the Conservative government over its proposal to eliminate public subsidies to parties.

In Money, Politics, and Democracy, Lisa Young and Harold Jansen lead a distinguished group of political scientists in exploring the issues that led to the showdown. Are publicly funded parties compatible with democracy? What effect have campaign finance reforms had on the balance of power between parties and donors, on the relationship between national parties and local organizations, on electoral competition? This timely volume reveals that the financial centre of gravity for political parties is shifting between national and local organizations as individual donors replace unions and corporations. To survive financially, parties must now maximize their seats and votes. Contributors show that campaign finance reforms have shaped party organization and electoral competition, contributing to successive minority governments.