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Dynasties and Interludes: Past and Present in Canadian Electoral Politics
Dynasties and Interludes provides a comprehensive and unique overview of elections and voting in Canada from Confederation to the recent spate of minority governments. Its principal argument is that the Canadian political landscape has consisted of long periods of hegemony of a single party and/or leader (dynasties), punctuated by short, sharp disruptions brought about by the sudden rise of new parties, leaders, or social movements (interludes).
Changes in the composition of the electorate and in the technology and professionalization of election campaigns are also examined in this book, both to provide a better understanding of key turning points in Canadian history and a deeper interpretation of present-day electoral politics.
Changes in the composition of the electorate and in the technology and professionalization of election campaigns are also examined in this book, both to provide a better understanding of key turning points in Canadian history and a deeper interpretation of present-day electoral politics.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 5, 2025
As Canada prepares for some turbulent times south of the border, it would be remiss not to talk about some of the political fallout within our own borders as well. An election is sure to occur by October 2025 and I wanted to do a little Election Prep for Canada, as I have done for US presidential elections in years past. We have a prime minister who has resigned due to some really poor polling numbers and a salivating Leader of the Opposition wanting to topple the tower right away for his own benefit. This entire experience could be extra fun, as there are whispers from high in Washington that the upcoming election could be the last for Canada as a sovereign country before we become the 51st state. Let’s see where this reading journey takes us!
Exploring the depths and thoroughness of elections from Confederation onwards, I turned to this stellar tome, penned by political historians with a passion for the subject matter. Lawrence Leduc, Jon H. Pammett, and André Turcotte fill the pages of this book with sensational and apt analyses to provide the reader with a great sense of understanding. Each chapter looks at a collection of events and Canadian developments, all of which shape the democratic narrative presented. A well-paced piece that sheds light on social needs of the time for Canadians, as well as how fickle the electorate can be, depending on those politicians who are in the limelight. The authors create a succinct narrative that bridges time and leaves the reader with a better understanding of the Canada that has been ever-developing since its creation in 1867. A must-read for curious readers of all stripes.
After years of compiling election review books, Jon H. Pammett works with Lawrence Leduc and André Turcotte on this epic tome. Dynasties and Interludes serves as a though and somewhat unique overview of elections and voting in Canada. It looks at themes and historical connections in democratic expression from Confederation to the handful of minority governments Canada had been through in the last while. While elections are snapshots of the voter’s sentiment at a given time, there are familiar happenings that have come to create longer periods of duplication, or at least similar choices for parties or leaders. These selections can be traced over different periods and speak of a handful of impactful events. These longer periods of hegemonic governing are offset with gaps or interludes, which bridge periods of sameness.
The authors create a long-term pathway to explain these periods, through both historical events and sociological happenings, as well as a better understand one of the various characters involved in the electoral ring. The analysis of events and the various flavorings of character traits help better explain the democratic choices made, though the narrative also explores choices made on the campaign trail that help explain the ways the electorate was influenced to choose one party over another, or at least regional choices that led to election results.
The authors develop key themes and cycles that emerge over a larger period. While the reader may not see them when reviewing events in any small period, seeing the larger and more impactful picture helps shape the views of the Canadian electorate and support views of repetition with similar events over the entirety of Canada’s electoral history. Events are depicted in such a way that the reader can better understand sentiments that helped shape various values the voter holds dear.
In a book that creates electoral summaries more succinct than Pammett has done with many of the previous election campaigns, the authors develop key arguments and support them with academic analyses and polling data. This educates the curious reader with a great deal of information to provide a better understanding of Canadian shifting values over periods in history. The authors are well-versed with the ideals and serve to effectively transmit this to the reader. Each chapter is full of insightful analysis and leaves the reader to connect many dots to provide a better picture of the electoral situation. Might this speak to how the country will face future issues? Only time will tell!
Kudos, Messrs. Leduc, Pammett and Turcotte, for this eye-opening assessment that left me eager to learn more.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Exploring the depths and thoroughness of elections from Confederation onwards, I turned to this stellar tome, penned by political historians with a passion for the subject matter. Lawrence Leduc, Jon H. Pammett, and André Turcotte fill the pages of this book with sensational and apt analyses to provide the reader with a great sense of understanding. Each chapter looks at a collection of events and Canadian developments, all of which shape the democratic narrative presented. A well-paced piece that sheds light on social needs of the time for Canadians, as well as how fickle the electorate can be, depending on those politicians who are in the limelight. The authors create a succinct narrative that bridges time and leaves the reader with a better understanding of the Canada that has been ever-developing since its creation in 1867. A must-read for curious readers of all stripes.
After years of compiling election review books, Jon H. Pammett works with Lawrence Leduc and André Turcotte on this epic tome. Dynasties and Interludes serves as a though and somewhat unique overview of elections and voting in Canada. It looks at themes and historical connections in democratic expression from Confederation to the handful of minority governments Canada had been through in the last while. While elections are snapshots of the voter’s sentiment at a given time, there are familiar happenings that have come to create longer periods of duplication, or at least similar choices for parties or leaders. These selections can be traced over different periods and speak of a handful of impactful events. These longer periods of hegemonic governing are offset with gaps or interludes, which bridge periods of sameness.
The authors create a long-term pathway to explain these periods, through both historical events and sociological happenings, as well as a better understand one of the various characters involved in the electoral ring. The analysis of events and the various flavorings of character traits help better explain the democratic choices made, though the narrative also explores choices made on the campaign trail that help explain the ways the electorate was influenced to choose one party over another, or at least regional choices that led to election results.
The authors develop key themes and cycles that emerge over a larger period. While the reader may not see them when reviewing events in any small period, seeing the larger and more impactful picture helps shape the views of the Canadian electorate and support views of repetition with similar events over the entirety of Canada’s electoral history. Events are depicted in such a way that the reader can better understand sentiments that helped shape various values the voter holds dear.
In a book that creates electoral summaries more succinct than Pammett has done with many of the previous election campaigns, the authors develop key arguments and support them with academic analyses and polling data. This educates the curious reader with a great deal of information to provide a better understanding of Canadian shifting values over periods in history. The authors are well-versed with the ideals and serve to effectively transmit this to the reader. Each chapter is full of insightful analysis and leaves the reader to connect many dots to provide a better picture of the electoral situation. Might this speak to how the country will face future issues? Only time will tell!
Kudos, Messrs. Leduc, Pammett and Turcotte, for this eye-opening assessment that left me eager to learn more.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
March 5, 2017
Dynasties and Interludes: Past and Present in Canadian Electoral Politics, by Lawrence LeDuc, is an examination of the history of Canadian elections. It uses a chronological timescale, starting with John A. MacDonald, and ending with the 2015 election of Justin Trudeau. The author examines what is termed "dynasties" of Canadian political parties. Long standing governments like the MacDonald government, the Mackenzie King government, Pierre Elliot Trudeau's, and Stephen Harper's, are approached in terms of how they won the election, the issues they raised, the issues that were most attractive to voters at the time, and the difficulties and failures of the opposition and competing parties.
These were followed by "interludes", brief periods or full electoral cycles inhibited by parties that briefly upset the dynastic trend in Canadian politics. Examples include the Bennett interlude, the Diefenbaker government and so on. These periods were usually caused by extreme events either globally (WWII, the Depression), or upsets at home (St. Lawrence scandal). LeDuc posits that Canadian election cycles seem to follow a pattern of long term stability of three or so consecutive elections by a specific party. These then come to an end as voters become disenchanted with the long standing cycle. Usually these interludes are brief, and replaced once again by long term political dynasties.
In Canada, the electoral dynasties are not authoritarian in nature, as they usually consist of minority governments with a plethora of competing parties. Examples include the Social Credit party, a Western farmers party that promoted social welfare for farmers, free trade, and government subsidies to Canadian industries. The CCF (which became the New Democratic Party) was a socialist party that still exists in present day Canadian politics as the "third party." The Bloc in Quebec is an example of Quebec-centric parties that have been present in Canada since early election cycles. The two big parties in Canada, however, are and remain the Conservative and Liberal parties. The Conservatives have been the second party in Canada for many years, although they have taken many forms, and been split historically with the Social Credit party, the Progressive Alliance, and the traditional Tories all amalgamated into the modern day Conservative Party. The Liberal's, on the other hand, have held power the longest of any party, forming the majority of dynastic governments in Canada. Traditionally a Centrist party, they have been successful historically in Ontario, Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and parts of the West, but have little standing in Alberta and rural Canada.
Issues that Canadian's are most consistently worried about include employment, immigration and racial policy, French-English relations and complications, regional inclusion, and economic distribution. Canada went through cycles of governance where development and expansion were the main political issues (early Canada, under MacDonald), the development of the welfare state (in the post WWII era), with the struggles of free trade and Canadian confederation issues in the 1980's, and under Harper during the unstable post 2001 world. Canadian's seem to gravitate toward these styles of government for a number of reasons. First of course, is the electoral system itself, which utilizes a system of Ridings to determine which MP is elected to the House of Commons by a first-past-the-post system of voting. This means that parties elected with a minority or majority government my have under 50% of the popular vote, and have very rarely achieved anything above 50%. Voter turnout in Canada ebbs and flows as well, with higher percentages being typically above 70%, and lower average in the low 60%.
LeDuc has written a very good history on Canadian electoral politics which is descriptive, informative and interesting. This book really isn't breaking any new ground, or arguing any big ideas. It examines the voting trends in Canada throughout its history, and describes the victories and defeats of numerous governments as they struggled to cope with domestic and international trends, issues and events in order to maintain power. This book was thoroughly informative, if a tad dry (even for me), but offers excellent insight into how Canada's electoral system works at a deeper level. Easily recommended to anyone wanting to read up more on Canada's political system and the mechanics and framework of voting trends in Canada.
These were followed by "interludes", brief periods or full electoral cycles inhibited by parties that briefly upset the dynastic trend in Canadian politics. Examples include the Bennett interlude, the Diefenbaker government and so on. These periods were usually caused by extreme events either globally (WWII, the Depression), or upsets at home (St. Lawrence scandal). LeDuc posits that Canadian election cycles seem to follow a pattern of long term stability of three or so consecutive elections by a specific party. These then come to an end as voters become disenchanted with the long standing cycle. Usually these interludes are brief, and replaced once again by long term political dynasties.
In Canada, the electoral dynasties are not authoritarian in nature, as they usually consist of minority governments with a plethora of competing parties. Examples include the Social Credit party, a Western farmers party that promoted social welfare for farmers, free trade, and government subsidies to Canadian industries. The CCF (which became the New Democratic Party) was a socialist party that still exists in present day Canadian politics as the "third party." The Bloc in Quebec is an example of Quebec-centric parties that have been present in Canada since early election cycles. The two big parties in Canada, however, are and remain the Conservative and Liberal parties. The Conservatives have been the second party in Canada for many years, although they have taken many forms, and been split historically with the Social Credit party, the Progressive Alliance, and the traditional Tories all amalgamated into the modern day Conservative Party. The Liberal's, on the other hand, have held power the longest of any party, forming the majority of dynastic governments in Canada. Traditionally a Centrist party, they have been successful historically in Ontario, Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and parts of the West, but have little standing in Alberta and rural Canada.
Issues that Canadian's are most consistently worried about include employment, immigration and racial policy, French-English relations and complications, regional inclusion, and economic distribution. Canada went through cycles of governance where development and expansion were the main political issues (early Canada, under MacDonald), the development of the welfare state (in the post WWII era), with the struggles of free trade and Canadian confederation issues in the 1980's, and under Harper during the unstable post 2001 world. Canadian's seem to gravitate toward these styles of government for a number of reasons. First of course, is the electoral system itself, which utilizes a system of Ridings to determine which MP is elected to the House of Commons by a first-past-the-post system of voting. This means that parties elected with a minority or majority government my have under 50% of the popular vote, and have very rarely achieved anything above 50%. Voter turnout in Canada ebbs and flows as well, with higher percentages being typically above 70%, and lower average in the low 60%.
LeDuc has written a very good history on Canadian electoral politics which is descriptive, informative and interesting. This book really isn't breaking any new ground, or arguing any big ideas. It examines the voting trends in Canada throughout its history, and describes the victories and defeats of numerous governments as they struggled to cope with domestic and international trends, issues and events in order to maintain power. This book was thoroughly informative, if a tad dry (even for me), but offers excellent insight into how Canada's electoral system works at a deeper level. Easily recommended to anyone wanting to read up more on Canada's political system and the mechanics and framework of voting trends in Canada.
December 13, 2023
Solid book on the history of Canadian elections, although somewhat deterministic in its analysis. Albeit slight, authors can't help but view Canadian electoral history through their liberal-coloured glasses.
July 7, 2021
Great reference book for every election in Canadian history. The events surrounding them, the issues at play and a look at all the players and analysis of the results. Highly recommend to anyone interested in Canadian political history. My edition covered up to the 2015 election. I know some earlier editions don't go that far.
February 23, 2021
Highly recommend for anyone interested in learning about Canadian political history. If you're interested in knowing how each political party in Canada has come to be - this is your book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2024
I will be dipping into this as my research continues.
October 13, 2022
FYI the first edition came up on the Kindle store before the second. Make sure to get the second if you want to find out if Harper led a dynasty or an interlude.
June 21, 2025
This is a good reference/ research book on Canadian politics. Although somewhat of a liberal lean to the writers, I think.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews