Staples and Beyond: Selected Writings of Mel Watkins

Mel Watkins is an iconic figure in the development of the “new” political economy in Canada. Since the 1960s he has combined scholarly writing with political activism for a range of issues, from Canada’s economic dependency on the US to the role of social democratic parties to aboriginal rights. This collection brings together Watkins’ most important scholarly articles. In Staples and Beyond Watkins addresses the “staple thesis” of Canadian economic and political development and, in particular, the effort to extend Harold Innis’ work by giving more explicit consideration to class relations and the role of the state. He considers the historical nature of Canada’s economic dependency in relation to tariff barriers, foreign investment, the multi-national corporation, and wide-ranging free trade and investment agreements. He also examines the evolution of economics and political economy as academic disciplines and reflects on the relationship between intellectual scholarship and political activism. Taken together, the papers in this volume provide an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the nature of the Canadian economy and the political options for forging a more independent and equitable country.