In this account of the struggle to advance the National Child Benefit, National Children`s Agenda, and Social Union Framework Agreement, readers are able to peer behind the ideology of media-speak. The reality behind how Canadian federalism was made to work and where it failed is revealed, bringing the Canadian political economy to light and clarifying the role of these social programs within the context of globalization. Detailed and informative, this investigation clearly outlines the structures and processes needed for implementing social programs in a federalist system.