Research
Over the course of my academic career, my research has critically
engaged with many of the core challenges in Canadian politics,
political economy, and public policy, including partisanship, gender
and politics, citizenship and social policy, spatial politics, and
governing paradigms.
Since my appointment as a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Political
Economy and Social Governance in 2004, I have further pursued these
themes primarily through two streams of investigation. One stream
explores the transformative shift in governing philosophies from
postwar social liberalism to neoliberalism in the past two decades and
the many ways in which neoliberal governing practices have
reconfigured Canadian social policies, gender politics, and
citizenship identities and practices. The second stream in my CRC research
program examines the shifts in governance advanced through the North American
Security and Prosperity Partnership Agreement (SPP), which was adopted
by the leaders of Mexico, the United States and Canada in 2005. While
largely implemented under the radar of public opinion, I argue that
this ongoing continental governing project has “denationalized” public
policy, while empowering political executives, private actors and
private authority inside the state.
My research demonstrates that this strategic bargain, in fact, failed to bring
anticipated economic benefits to Canada but, instead, advanced the securitization
of North America. The 2008 financial crisis has shifted the gaze of Canadian
development strategies from the United States to Asia.
The second stream of my ongoing research explores the transformative shifts in
governing philosophies from postwar social liberalism to neoliberalism in the past
three decades and the many ways in which neoliberal governing practices have reconfigured
Canadian social policies, gender politics, and citizenship identities and practices.
With the renewal of my CRC Chair and the award of a Trudeau Fellowship in 2010, I have
focused my research on provincial poverty reduction strategies. Drawing on critical
political economy traditions as well as contemporary discouse analysis, my research
agenda emphasizes that what “states say“ matters and that engaged research
must cast its analytic eye to ongoing public discourses and official transcripts in all
varieties.
You can listen to my latest presentation by cliking in the following link:
CBC Radio Ideas with Paul Kennedy: Pondering the Patriation
Some of my recent publications include the following:
“Constituting Constitutions: The Patriations Moment.“
In Lois Harder and Steven Patten, eds. The Patriation Negotiations
(forthcoming 2013);
“Income Inequality and the Future of Global Governance.“
In Stephen Gill, ed. Remagining the Future: Critical Reflections on Global Governance (forthcoming 2013).
“Mobility Regimes: Reflections on the Short Life and Times of the Security
and Prosperity Partnership of North America.“ in Suzan Ilcan, ed.
Mobilities, Knowledge and Social Justice. Montreal:McGill-Queen's University Press 2013.
For a full list of recent publications please click here (pdf document)
A complete CV can be viewed here (pdf document)