English
Administrative reforms are social phenomena. When it was elected in 2003, the Quebec Liberal Pa rty had promised to undertake the most ambitious overhaul of the State since the 1960s. But this turned out to be a damp squib. T o explain this failure, we must do more than just list the political blunders made. Close attention should be given to the social networks and various sociological and cultural factors arising as a result of Quebec’s history. W e also compare Quebec’s experience with administrative reforms implemented elsewhere in Canada.