Description: Do Canada and the United States share a special relationship, or is this just a face-saving myth, masking dependency and domination? The Politics of Linkage cuts through the rhetoric that clouds this debate by offering detailed accounts of four major bilateral disputes. It shows that the United States has not made coercive linkages between issues. In the early Cold War years, the exercise of American power over Canada was held in check by a genuinely special diplomatic culture but since then has been held back only by interest groups and institutions. This revisionist account of Canada-US relations is essential reading for anyone interested in Canadian politics, American foreign policy, or international diplomacy.
Brief description: Brian Bow is professor of political science and director of the Centre for the Study of Security and Development at Dalhousie University. He is the author of The Politics of Linkage: Power, Interdependence, and Ideas in Canada-US Relations, which was awarded the Donner Prize for 2009.