Week 7: Regionalism and language Flashcards
Regionalism in Canadian Politics
Scholars and commentators have long argued that regionalism is a fundamental axis of political conflict in Canada
More specifically: that political conflict is shaped by tensions between the ‘center’ (quebec and ontario) and
the ‘periphery’ (atlantic provinces and the west)
This dynamic is most apparent when we speak of western alienation
Why regionalism
Regionalism in canada developed in large part due to geography
Canada is immense geographically, while population was, and still is, rather small
Building and maintaining east-west linkages a challenge (infrastructure and communications)
Population is largely dispersed and disconnected: concentrated on U.S border
Regionalism and Economic Disparities
Tremendous variation in economic development across canada’s regions
Equalization program brought in as a means of reducing tension caused by unequal access to natural resources
Entrenched in 1982 patriation
Persistent economic differences
Equalization payments have failed to close the gap between regions
There remains substantial differences in the economic profile of canadian regions
Alberta and SK: oil and gas; ontario and quebec: manufacturing; atlantic: fisheries
Regionalism and the party system
Single member plurality (SMP) rewards parties for regional support
Historically conservatives stronger in the west and liberals in quebec
Regional parties like the progressives, reform, and BQ often pop up
Unique party systems at the provincial level include:
Liberals (BC united) and NDP (BC)
United Conservatives and NDP (Alberta)
Saskatchewan Party and NDP
PC and NDP (Manitoba)
CAQ, PQ, QS, and Liberals (Quebec)
PC, Liberals, NDP, Greens (Ontario, Atlantic Canada)
Regionalism and Intergovernmental conflict
Executive federalism ensures policy making has often been done by the PM and Premiers
Growing provincial power led to conflict along regional lines
Province Building
Political elites in the provinces are vested in regionalism because it allows them to expand their influence
Province building: using constitutional, legal, and taxation avenues to expand power within their jurisdictions at the expense of Ottawa
Rivalry with Ottawa also serves the electoral interests of most Premiers
Failure of Intrastate Federalism
Most federal systems feature intrastate federalism that allows regional tensions to be diffused in national institutions
Canada is weak on this dimension
What are Canada’s regions?
The most common way of thinking of Canadian regions in terms of economics and resources
BC: Forestry, minerals, fishing
Prairies: agriculture, oil, and gas, potash
Ontario: manufacturing, finance
Quebec: manufacturing, forestry, hydroelectric
Atlantic: fishing, agriculture, oil and gas (Newfoundland)
Some argue there are deep cultural and social differences between the regions
As in the West is more individualistic and right-wing, while Quebec is the least
BUT: only limited evidence of deep political divides
Provincial identities
Strong provincial identities and attachments outside of Ontario
Only in Quebec does provincial identity come at the expense of Canadian ID
Sizable # of people in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and the West more attached to their province
Western Alienation
Western alienation: the belief that Western interests are ignored in Ottawa to the benefit of Ontario and Quebec
Two assumptions: that westerners have a unique political culture and that the western provinces have been wronged by ottawa
A western political culture?
Minimal differences between western and the rest
Manitoba and BC are often aligned with others over
Alberta and Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan has a long history of prairie socialism: cooperatives and a dominant NDP provincial party
Perhaps Western culture is more reflected in its populism?
- Conceiving of politics as conflict between the “people” and political elites
- Long history of referenda, recall elections in the western provinces, and free votes
- But it doesn’t really seem like Westerners stand out from the rest of Canadians
- This true both of right and left wing populism
AB and SK terms of entry
Alberta and SK were carved out of the northwest territory in 1905
Territorial leaders wanted one large province called Buffalo
PM laurier instead carved the proposal province in two to divide political opposition
Federal government maintained control of natural resources until the 1930s
Economic policy
National policy of PM Macdonald financed government through tariffs
Policy benefitted industrial interests in ON and QC and at expense of western farmers led to protest parties
Centralized banking system forced Westerners to secure loans from banks in central canada
These restrictions relaxed in the 1970s
National energy policy forced west to sell oil below
market price to benefit Easterners in the 1970s
Disputes over pipeline expansions take on a similar flavor as the NEP debate
Equalization programs consistently advantages Eastern Canada
Demographics of language politics
At the end of the conquest in 1763, Francophones outnumbered Anglophones 8:1
Parity was achieved by 1800
Immigration from britain and the united states reduced Francophones to ⅓ by 1871
A high birth rate allowed French Canada to keep pace with English Canadian immigration until the 1950s
Francophone share remained at ⅓ until the 1950s
Since then, francophones have fallen to 22% of the population
