Government Corruption, Politics of Prebendalism and Democratic Governance in Quebec, Canada

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue X, October 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Government Corruption, Politics of Prebendalism and Democratic Governance in Quebec, Canada

 William Hermann Arrey, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer Chair, Department of Peace and Development Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and International Relations Protestant University of Central Africa.
Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract: This paper exposes the negative consequences of government corruption and the politics of prebendalism on democratic governance in Quebec, Canada. Relevant information was obtained through a desk-based research, making use of secondary data. Moreover, by adopted the theory of prebendalism as the theoretical framework of analysis, the paper finds out that, to a great extent, top level political offices and some government institutions have simply become a route to riches for politicians in Quebec. Many stay in power ‘merely to enjoy’ the benefits of illicit enrichment accumulating from the political offices they occupy. It has been uncovered that government corruption carved within political parties (and other government institutions), driven by the politics of prebendalism has curtailed the development of a strong democratic governance mode that can work for both the leaders and the led. The central argument supported by the analysis in this paper is that, politicians’ struggle to occupy state offices by electoral competition, with the premeditated mindset of using such offices as prebends, to be ‘swiftly exploited’ in a variety of formal and informal networks for person gains, produces a very ‘thin’ version of democracy, antithetical to the principles of democratic governance. Hence, the findings of this paper are important in our understanding of the mutually reinforcing nature of several dimensions of politico-economic behavior, motivated by a system of prebendal politics, which is socio-politically and economically destructive to democratic governance and development not only in ‘emerging’ but also in advanced democracies. As such, the analytical and public policy insight developed in this paper has important democratic implications not only for Quebec, Canada but also for other advanced democracies experiencing similar democratic governance challenges.

Key Words: Democracy, Democratic governance, government corruption, prebendalism, Quebec.

I. INTRODUCTION

Corruption has become a growing concern in Canada in general and Quebec in particular in recent years. Corruption scandals involving high profile political leaders have increasingly erupted in the Province of Quebec as in other parts of Canada. This has resulted to wide spread media headlines and coverage, economic and reputational damage and governments commissions of inquiry (Boisvert, and Quraishi, 2014). Furthermore, Transparency International in its 2019 Corruption perception index, calls on countries such as Canada, to develop firmer anti-corruption mechanisms and to ensure stronger enforcement of corruption-related offences. “Although legislative amendments and increased

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