The Liberal Party of Canada: Still Canada’s “Natural Governing Party?”

Authors

  • James Suderman

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/agora10110

Keywords:

Liberal Party, Natural Governing Party, Canadian Politics, Party Politics

Abstract

Canada´s evolving party system has shifted the discursive, institutional, and legal frameworks for how party politics are performed in Canada.  As a result, the dominant track record of the Liberal Party of Canada now faces several new challenges to its historical status as Canada´s natural governing party.  The inability to successfully fundraise to set election issues within the guidelines of new legal regulations has weakened the Liberal Party´s ability to compete with the Conservatives.  The current leader-driven model of cadre party politics has also put more emphasis on attracting peripheral voters, such as flexible partisans and dealigned voters, which makes one-party domination less likely.  Furthermore, the Liberal Party has also faced recent loses to their core support, due to shifts in historical regional support, religious support, and the support of ethnic minorities.

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Published

2011-03-30

Issue

Vol. 1 (2011): The Agora: Political Science Undergraduate Journal

Section

Articles

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