In How Ottawa Spends, some of the country's top political analysts get inside the byzantine world of federal decision-making, shedding light on the real priorities of the political parties.

Among their findings: federal spending cuts do not necessarily "stick", because affected ministers are often given an offsetting package of funds for different purposes; while Ottawa has become the country's biggest advertiser (close to $60 million in 1982-83), it has increasing trouble discerning between information and propaganda; because they are afraid of losing their regional blocs of support, none of the federal parties is willing to behave like a truly national party.

Published in 1983, How Ottawa Spends is an eye-opening look at federal spending priorities.

G. Bruce Doern is a professor emeritus in the School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University. He is the author and co-author of numerous books on Canadian politics and policy, including Faith and Fear: The Free Trade Story, with Brian Tomlin, and Canadian Public Policy: Ideas, Structure, Process, with Richard Phidd.

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