Search results for ""Author Jared J. Wesley""

Based on extensive data collection, Big Worlds examines Canada's ten provinces and three territories as distinct democratic "worlds." A separate chapter is devoted to each province (and one explores the three territories), creating a cross-country survey of politics and elections. Tracing the history of each provincial and territorial system, with special attention to the twenty-first century, and drawing on the "worlds" theme, the chapters address the "terrain" (political culture, political economy, and political institutions) and the "climate" (the party system, civic culture, and democratic deficits) of Canada's provinces and territories. The result is a comprehensive sectional study of provincial and territorial politics and elections, and is the ideal text for Canadian provincial politics courses.

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Politics on the Canadian Prairies are puzzling. The provinces share a common landscape and history, but they have nurtured three distinct political cultures – Alberta is Canada’s bastion of conservatism, Saskatchewan its cradle of social democracy, and Manitoba its progressive centre. The roots of these cultures run deep, yet their persistence over a century has yet to be explained. Drawing on over eight hundred pieces of campaign literature, Jared Wesley reveals that dominant political parties have used one key device – rhetoric – to foster and carry forward their province’s cultural values or political code. Social Credit and Progressive Conservative leaders in Alberta emphasized freedom, whereas New Democrats in Saskatchewan stressed security. Successful politicians in Manitoba, by contrast, underscored the importance of moderation. Although the content of their campaigns differed, leaders from William Aberhart to Tommy Douglas to Gary Doer have employed distinct codes to ensure their parties’ success and shape their provinces’ political landscapes.

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