Nov 15
I’ll present the J.A. Corry Lecture in Political Studies at Queen’s University on March 5, 2026. The title is Why Great States Fail. The lecture will be held from 2:30PM to 4:00PM in Room 202, Robert Sutherland Hall. More details here.
You can download the background manuscript for this lecture here. Comments are welcomed.
On February 17, 2026, I’ll give a lecture for Lifelong Learning Niagara as part of their Winter 2026 Lecture Series. Details here.
I’m looking forward to talking with the UMass Retired Faculty Association on February 11. My topic is: “The United States and Canada: Twin Crises of Governance.” Some background reading here:
The Crisis of Design in American Government. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration 47.4 (2025): 321–343.
The US and Canada: Two Crises of Federalism. Substack (October 16, 2025).
Rudderless in the Storm: The Crisis of Adaptability in Canadian Governance. The Hill Times (February 15, 2025).
In The Logic, Kevin Carmichael discusses my book The Adaptable Country, and the need to revive royal commissions in Canada. Read here.
I spoke with Kelly Geraldine Malone for an end-of-year story by the Canadian Press. Read the article here.
I’ve written a policy brief for the Centre on Governance and Markets, Why Centralization Goes Wrong. You can download it here.
On November 13, I will participate in a pre-conference symposium on imperial administration at the annual meeting of the American Society for Legal History in Detroit. The theme of the panel is “The Boomerang Effect in American Imperial Administration.” I’ve written a Substack column as background for my comments on the panel.
I’ll participate in a panel discussion organized by the Canadian Studies program at UC Berkeley on November 4, 2025. My co-panelist will be Professor Evert Lindquist. Details about the discussion here. I’ve written a Substack column to go along with this discussion: “The US and Canada: Two Crises of Federalism.”
I participated in a Management Matters podcast, hosted by James-Christian Blockwood, president of the National Academy of Public Administration, on international perspectives on the American crisis. Professor Andrew Podger also participated. Listen here.
I’m looking forward to participating in the inaugural National Federalism Initiative Summit, to be held in Salt Lake City on September 25-26. Details to follow.
Alasdair S. Roberts 
