On December 5, 2003 the provincial premiers gathered in Charlottetown to finalize the mandate and structure for the Council of the Federation, a new mechanism designed to improve intergovernmental relations. In order to explore the new Council, the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations (IIGR) at Queen's University and the Institute for Research on Public Policy (irpp.org) in Montreal have published a series of essays by leading experts on federalism and public policy. The papers are intended for journalists, policy-makers and the public.

• Overview
  
  
• A Short Path to Revitalized Federalism
  Tom Kent (January 2004)
  
  
• Counsel for Canadian Federalism: Aboriginal Governments and the Council of the Federation
  Frances Abele and Michael J. Prince (November 2003)
  
  
• Some Personal Reflections on the Council of the Federation
  Bob Rae (November 2003)
  
  
• Getting Things Done in the Federation: Do We Need New Rules for an Old Game?
  Douglas M. Brown (October 2003)
  
  
• The Council of the Federation: From a Defensive to a Partnership Approach
  André Burelle (October 2003)
  French version | addendum (in French)
  
  
• The Council of the Federation: Conflict and Complementarity with Canada's Democratic Reform Agenda
  Roger Gibbins (October 2003)
  
  
• Managing Interdependencies in the Canadian Federation: Lessons from the Social Union Framework Agreement
  Harvey Lazar (October 2003)
  
  
• The Health Council of Canada Proposal in light of the Council of the Federation: A Test of Constructive Intergovernmental Relations?
  Greg Marchildon (October 2003)
  
  
• Council of the Federation: An Idea Whose Time has Come
  J. Peter Meekison (October 2003)
  
  
• The End of a Model? Quebec and the Council of the Federation
  Alain Noël (October 2003)
  
  
• Quebec and Interprovincial Discussion and Consultation
  Claude Ryan (October 2003)
  French version
  
  
• Expanding the Partnership: The Proposed Council of the Federation and the Challenge of Glocalization
  Hamish Telford (October 2003)
  
  
• Intergovernmental Councils in Federations
  Ronald L. Watts (October 2003)