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Political Science Political Parties

The Regional Decline of a National Party

Liberals on the Prairies

by (author) David E. Smith

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Aug 1981
Category
Political Parties, General, Elections
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781487574871
    Publish Date
    Dec 1981
    List Price
    $35.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780802064301
    Publish Date
    Aug 1981
    List Price
    $35.95

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Description

During the past twenty years, the Liberal party has shown a marked failure to hold a place in the hearts and minds of the voters of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Professor Smith here argues convincingly that the party is largely the author of its own downfall through insensitivity to regional concerns and ignorance of the implications of its centralizing tendencies.

 

Smith views the reforms which helped restore the Liberals to federal power after defeat in 1957 as a primary cause of the party’s continuing poor electoral performance in the region. He chronicles that shift from a political structure dominated by strong provincial spokesmen like Gardner and Garson to the reorganized federal Liberal party, which emphasizes control from national headquarters and favours a more scientific approach, relying on opinion polls, ad agencies, and campaign colleges for candidates.

 

The result has been a decline in voter support and a lack of regional participation in party councils – and the adoption by the party of policies unacceptable to the West. The west thus has come to perceive the Liberal party as dominated by eastern Canada and preoccupied with the problem of Quebec separatism. The consequences have become increasingly evident at election times.

About the author

David E. Smith, FRSC, is the author of Federalism and the Constitution of Canada, The People’s House of Commons, and many books on Canadian politics. He is currently Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University.

David E. Smith's profile page