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...

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...