Political Science 324

Canadian Provincial Politics

Dr. Peter Clancy

NH 716 (Formerly NH512) Time Bloc K

867-2291 Tue 8:15, Wed 10:15

pclancy@stfx.ca Fri 9:15

This course will explore the political make-up of the Canadian provinces and territories, individually and as a comparative set. Together they account for more than half of the political life of the nation. Yet as political systems, they can be neglected in both the mass media and in academic political study.

There are many potential subsets within this group of thirteen: the original four colonies/provinces; the central pair of Ontario and Quebec; the Maritime or the Prairie three; the four modern economic powerhouses; or the trio of Arctic territories.

The course is designed to be cumulative and comparative. Provinces are first explored individually but as the number of cases expands, we engage in controlled comparisons to further highlight key features and mechanisms.

Fortunately there are a number of concepts and frameworks available to help reveal the rich variety of provincial politics. We will pay particular attention to: party systems, political cultures, class structures and power relations expressed through key policy choices.

Goals of the course:

1. to expand your range of understanding of provincial systems

2. to explore the relevance of select concepts/theories in interpreting these systems

3. to develop skills in the comparative analysis of provincial/territorial politics

You will prepare two essays as part of course work. The first is due at the start of February. The second, based on a group class presentation to be made in March, is due at the start of April. The final exam will round out the term. The grading scheme is as follows:

First essay 30%

Class presentation: 20%

Second essay 20%

Final Exam 30%

FIRST ESSAY

Select any two chapters from the Brownsey-Howlett textbook. Read each one carefully and take notes. Then reflect on the distinguishing features of each account and the similarities and differences between them. Prepare an analytic essay that discusses each province in turn and then compares the two. In length your paper should be at least 12 pages, not including cover and reference pages. In structuring your paper (see below), give equal attention to each province (in the first half) and devote at least half your paper to the comparative discussion (the second half). Due Date: Tuesday, 2 February 2010.

1A.distinguishing features of each province and explanations for these features

1B.critique of the respective assessments

2.comparison and contrast between the two provinces

SECOND ESSAY

Working in a pre-assigned group, investigate one of the critical elections listed on our course outline for March 2010. Due Date: Tuesday 6 April 2010. More details to follow.

COURSE TEXT

Keith Brownsey and Michael Howlett (eds.) The Provincial State in Canada: Politics in the Provinces and Territories. Broadview Press, 2001.

SOME SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS (on Reserve in Library under 324)

Martin Robin, (ed.) Canadian Provincial Politics: The Party Systems of the Ten Provinces, Prentice-Hall, 1972.

Rand Dyck, Provincial Politics in Canada.

Christopher Dunn, (ed.) Provinces: Canadian Provincial Politics, Broadview, 2006.

A USEFUL WEBSITE

www.electionalmanac.com Reference data on provincial and territorial elections, legislative standings and opinion polling. Operated by former StFX Honours student David MacDonald.

Some journals that offer useful coverage of provincial politics.

BC Studies

Northern Review

Etudes/Inuit/Studies

Arctic

Acadiensis

Newfoundland Studies

Prairie Forum

Journal of Canadian Studies

Policy Options

NeWest Review

www.mta.ca/library/govt&politics/chap6/chap6-prov/clarifying.html

Course Topics and Readings

The core reading from Brownsey-Howlett will be the chapter that corresponds to the jurisdiction under study. You need to read these chapters as the topics unfold and I will assume that you are familiar with them. Additional readings will be announced as we progress. Notice that classes in the latter half of March are devoted to presentations.

WEEK of ---- 5 January 2010

Politics of the Provinces: Why and How to Study.

Aboriginal Peoples and Colonists: the first political encounter

Quebec I: New France as a culture fragment and a path dependency

WEEK of ---- 12 January

Quebec II: Old Nationalism from the Conquest to Duplessis

Quebec III: Modernization and the Quiet Revolution

Quebec IV: Realignment – the Sovereignty Movement

WEEK of ---- 19 January

Ontario I: Patronage and Clientelism from the Family Compact to the Big Blue Machine

Ontario II: The Four Ontarios: Canada in Microcosm?

Ontario III: The Transitional 1980s

WEEK of ---- 26 January

Ontario IV: Post-industrialism and the Creative Economy

Nova Scotia I: Political Culture – one or many?

Nova Scotia II: Economic Planning on the Periphery

WEEK of ---- 2 February

Nova Scotia III: Bluenose Socialism in Year Zero

Prince Edward Island: Micro-politics in the Garden of the Gulf

Newfoundland: Neo-nationalism and the Fighting Newfoundander

WEEK of ---- 9 February

The Prairies I: Populism as a Political Style

The Prairies II: the Alberta-Saskatchewan Split

Manitoba I: A Hybrid Culture

WEEK of ---- 16 February

Manitoba II: The General Strike and Class Politics

Manitoba III: Provincial Neo-Conservatism and Sterling Lyon

Saskatchewan I: The Liberal Party and Machine Politics

WEEK of ---- 23 February

Saskatchewan II: Agrarian Socialism and the Doctor’s Strike

Saskatchewan III: Regina’s ‘State Bourgeosie’

Alberta I: Single Party Dominance from the UFA to Ed Stelmach

READING WEEK

WEEK of ---- 9 March

Alberta II: Lougheed and “Seeding the Oil”

Alberta III: Oil Sands as the New Economic Engine

Election – Ontario 1990 and 1995

WEEK of ---- 16 March

Election – New Brunswick 1991 and 1995

Election – Nova Scotia 1993 and 1997

Election – British Columbia 1996 and 2001

WEEK of ---- 23 March

Election – Newfoundland 1999 and 2003

Election – Quebec 2007 and 2008

Election –

WEEK of ---- 30 March

Election –

The North: A ‘Virtual Region’

NWT I: Class Politics on the Northern Frontier

WEEK of ---- 6 April

NWT II: The Future of Consensus Government

Nunavut I: Land Claims and Division

Nunavut II: The Politics of IQ