Three case studies demonstrate that federal limits on foreign investment in Canada have been motivated by political not economic considerations. The cases—the abortive 1963 tax on foreign takeovers, the 1973–1974 creation of the Foreign Investment Review Agency, and the 2008 and 2010 decisions to block the purchase of two Canadian companies—shared many features. All three involved minority governments that were vulnerable to shifts in public opinion. All three governments were skeptical about turning away foreign capital. Yet all three undertook measures to limit investment. All three then abandoned the policy as soon as political circumstances changed. This decision-making process helps explain why Canadian foreign investment policy has often been confused and inconsistent.

三个案例研究表明，联邦对加拿大外国投资的限制是出于政治而不是经济方面的考虑。这些案例具有许多特点，其中包括对外国收购施加的1963年令人反感的税收，1973年至1974年成立的外国投资审查局（External Investment Review Agency），以及2008年和2010年禁止购买两家加拿大公司的决定。这三个国家都涉及少数派政府，这些政府很容易受到舆论转变的影响。三个政府都对拒绝外资持怀疑态度。然而，这三者都采​​取了限制投资的措施。政治局势发生变化后，这三个人随后都放弃了该政策。这一决策过程有助于解释为什么加拿大的外国投资政策经常被混淆和不一致。