Assessing Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Government

During the 2015 election, the Liberal Party of Justin Trudeau promised to make real change in the lives of all Canadians. It is a good opportunity, on the eve of the next election, to provide a rigorous and impartial assessment of how the Liberal government has delivered on its campaign promises. Under the direction of Lisa Birch and François Pétry, twenty renowned academics investigate the fate of the 353 liberal campaign promises in fields as varied as international relations, energy and sustainable development, the economy, Indigenous Reconciliation and the legalization of recreational cannabis. Collaborators draw from a common set of documentary sources and rely on a common method to analyze and contextualize the pledge fulfillment verdicts that area accessible on the Trudeau Polimeter website. Contrary to popular belief that politicians make empty promises, it appears that the Liberals in power have fulfilled at least in part the vast majority of their promises. The book concludes with a reflection on the relevance and meaning of campaign promises for Canadian democracy. In particular, we ponder the paradox that fulfilling most of your campaign promises does not necessarily create a sense of enthusiasm among voters.Contributors : Antoine Baby-Bouchard, Daniel Béland, Karen Bird, Steve Jacob, Marcelin Joanis, Julien Lauzon Chiasson, Rachel McKay, Antonia Maioni, Alex Marland, Henry Milner, Martin Papillon, Mireille Paquet, Stéphane Paquin, Michael Prince, Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, Vincent Raynauld, François Rocher, Thierry Rodon, Geneviève Tellier, Cheick Alassane Traoré and Jared Wesley.