Canadian governance in transition: Multilevel governance in the digital era

Abstract

While the digital revolution has created new pressures and tensions for governing institutions in Canada, a broad discussion of the evolution of the Canadian Westminster governance ecosystem has yet to occur in earnest. The article seeks to contribute to such a discussion. We identify three related trends shaping the Canadian governance context: the rise of digital culture, the disintermediation of traditional authorities, and the increasingly distributed nature of governance. We then draw on scholarly literature surrounding “multilevel governance” to help contextualize these trends, and identify key tensions and needs related to the increasingly pressing imperative to develop a “made-in-Canada” governance approach that is well attuned to the needs of the digital era. We conclude by suggesting that such an approach will require a new style of leadership, one that privileges agility and resilience and that is issue-based and outcome-focused, rather than constrained by jurisdictional silos or narrowly conceived institutional mandates.