The institutional responses to the demands made by Canadian victims of terrorism: Explaining group success through pluralist and neopluralist theories.

摘要

This thesis is an investigation of the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, where 280 Canadians were killed. In the aftermath, a group of victims' families organized themselves into the Air India Victims' Families Association (AIVFA) and began to demand policy changes from the government. Over the course of twenty-five years, the AIVFA achieved some of its goals, such as securing an Air India inquiry and several memorials across the country. This thesis examines the role played by victims of terrorism in the political process and the factors that may explain why the government would respond (or not respond) to demands made by the AIVFA. While policy success may be attributed (in part) to the factors identified by pluralists (leadership, size, resources, mobilization, perceived legitimacy, and decision-making structure), the experience of the AIVFA can be better understood through a neopluralist lens that is also sensitive to the importance of policy windows.