A Question of Ethics: Canadians Speak Out

Agar Adamson is the author of Letters of Agar Adamson, 1914–19 and former chair of the Department of Political Science at Acadia University in Nova Scotia.

Are political ethics an oxymoron? This book, which is based on an
in-depth survey of more than 1400 Canadians, attempts to answer that
question. The survey respondents were asked not only about their views
on political ethics, but also about their own personal ethics (e.g.,
“Would you pay a plumber in cash to escape taxes?”). The results are
broken down into four categories: conflict of interest, gifts and gains,
patronage, and lying. The authors—Maureen Mancuso, Michael M.
Atkinson, Andre Blais, Ian Greene, and Neil Nevitte, all five of whom
are political scientists—also present a chapter on the theory and
practice of political ethics in Canada, as well as a summary of their
findings.

The results are both interesting and illuminating. They contradict the
conventional wisdom that residents of Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces
are more tolerant of patronage than those who live west of the Ottawa
River. According to the data presented, Quebeckers are less forgiving
than other Canadians of politicians who break their promises. Numerous
other findings presented in this fascinating study challenge our
stereotypical images of political ethics. A Question of Ethics is
strongly recommended for students of Canadian politics.