Canadians have always argued about how vigorously to resist the economic and cultural pull of the United States – and never more so than in the era of free trade. For the left, the possibility of convergence is a call to nationalist arms, while the right is happy to defer to the whims of the market. What both sides have conspicuously lacked in the debate, however, is an accurate picture of whether policies in the two countries are, in fact, converging and, if so, why.

Degrees of Freedom comes, therefore, as a sorely needed contribution to Canadian public discourse. The book, edited by political scientists Keith Banting (Queen’s University), George Hoberg (UBC), and Richard Simeon (University of Toronto), consists of articles by 10 eminent Canadian academics who examine whether, under pressure from economic globalization and increasing social diversity, policies in Canada and the U.S. are indeed converging. The authors look, in particular, at trends in the fields of macroeconomics, industrial policy, social programs, law, and environmental policy.

It’s not a light read. The book is almost 500 pages long, heavy on graphs and tables, and presupposes in places a basic knowledge of politics, law, and economics. But as a dispassionate and comprehensive account of bilateral trends over the last 20 years, it’s well worth the effort for anyone who wants to get beyond the sloganeering of the Business Council on National Issues or the Council of Canadians.

The authors show convincingly that the dominant policy trend in most areas is convergence to American standards. But there are important exceptions, and a few surprises. Banting shows, for example, that social programs, despite widespread fears to the contrary, are an area of predominant divergence, with Canada continuing to do much more than the U.S. to reduce differences between rich and poor. In environmental matters, however, Hoberg shows that although policies are converging to an American norm, this means (despite Canadian preconceptions) we have to upgrade our standards.

The latter finding, in particular, underlines why the book’s detailed examination of policies is so important. In abstract, most Canadians would agree it’s preferable to follow homegrown policies. But in practice, the book reveals, it is ultimately less important whether a policy is independent than whether it’s the best possible choice.