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Big Tent Politics: The Liberal Party’s Long Mastery of Canada’s Public Life
The Liberal Party of Canada is one of the most successful parties in the democratic world. It dominated Canadian politics for a century, practising an inclusive style of "big tent" politics that allowed it to fend off opponents on both the left and right. How did it do this? What kind of party organization did it build over the decades to manage its remarkable string of election victories? And has its long mastery of Canadian politics finally come to an end?
This book traces the record of the party over the twentieth century, revealing the cyclical character of its success and charting its capacity to respond to change. It also unwraps Liberal practices and organization to reveal the party’s distinctive "brokerage" approach to politics as well as a franchise-style structure that tied local grassroots supporters to the national leadership. These were key elements of the winning formula that drew Canadians of all political stripes to the Liberal Party over the years.
Ken Carty provides a carefully considered analysis of how one party came to lead the nation’s public life. In a country riven by difference, the Liberals’ enduring political success was an extraordinary feat. But as Carty reflects, given the party’s latest travails, will it be able to reinvent itself, yet again, for the twenty-first century?
This book traces the record of the party over the twentieth century, revealing the cyclical character of its success and charting its capacity to respond to change. It also unwraps Liberal practices and organization to reveal the party’s distinctive "brokerage" approach to politics as well as a franchise-style structure that tied local grassroots supporters to the national leadership. These were key elements of the winning formula that drew Canadians of all political stripes to the Liberal Party over the years.
Ken Carty provides a carefully considered analysis of how one party came to lead the nation’s public life. In a country riven by difference, the Liberals’ enduring political success was an extraordinary feat. But as Carty reflects, given the party’s latest travails, will it be able to reinvent itself, yet again, for the twenty-first century?
160 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 11, 2015
Dr Carty presents a well-researched and thoughtful account of the Party's history and its role in Canadian politics. In particular, the book delves deeply into the changing regional composition of Liberal support and details the historic compromises whereby partisans select the parliamentary membership while the leadership selects policy. Importantly, the longstanding role of Quebec's support and the influence of the electoral system in sustaining long-term Liberal dominance are considered in detail.
The book generally avoids focusing on personalities or policies, although it essentially defines the "four Liberal eras" by the leader(s) in office at the time. Consequently, its method is highly analytical and examines questions of Party organization and hierarchy with regards to government, elections, leadership politics, and internal governance. It doesn't necessarily tell a "story" or a single narrative, but offers a compelling and detailed account of the Party's history prior to the 2015 election, and speculates on both the nature of its unparalleled success as a political machine and on the challenges presented in the 21st century to its continuing status as a core institution of Canadian political life. Well worth the read for observers of Canadian politics, academics and pundits, and of course, Liberal partisans.
The book generally avoids focusing on personalities or policies, although it essentially defines the "four Liberal eras" by the leader(s) in office at the time. Consequently, its method is highly analytical and examines questions of Party organization and hierarchy with regards to government, elections, leadership politics, and internal governance. It doesn't necessarily tell a "story" or a single narrative, but offers a compelling and detailed account of the Party's history prior to the 2015 election, and speculates on both the nature of its unparalleled success as a political machine and on the challenges presented in the 21st century to its continuing status as a core institution of Canadian political life. Well worth the read for observers of Canadian politics, academics and pundits, and of course, Liberal partisans.
March 14, 2026
I was stuck between putting this one at 3 and 4 stars. On the one hand, it’s a succinct account of why the Liberal Party has been successful for so long—and how its support has gradually waned to the point of a 3rd place finish in 2011. On the other, by dint of only being 133 pages it leaves you wanting more… I would’ve loved more written, for example, on the four different eras of the party since Laurier’s victory in 1896. I’m settling for 3 stars, but the read remains quite relevant given the resurgence of the LPC in 2015 and its shock fourth term victory in 2025.
Kenneth Carty argues in Big Tent Politics that no political party in the democratic world has lasted longer and been more successful than the Liberal Party of Canada because of its ability to consistently reinvent itself thanks to its status as a brokerage party, muffling and suppressing divisions and attempting to balance the major divisions (Quebec vs Rest of Canada, Protestant vs Catholic) in society. The “franchise system” of leaving policy to the leader/caucus and local candidate selection kept everyone happy, until the system broke down in the 1970s. The party managed to keep winning with a close-to-secular decline in vote share and a less credible claim of being a truly national party. It’s a solid mix of basic data presentation and a recounting of history which makes it accessible both for junkies and someone with less knowledge going in. The sprinkles of comparative politics with other dominant-party democracies (which Carty would expound upon in a later book).
As to whether the Liberal Party has resolved the underlying problems Carty pointed out, the answer is “somewhat”: they’ve won 4 elections since, but 3* of them minority governments with small vote shares. The party ejected Trudeau from office, but almost nobody in the party regrets it thanks to Carney’s revival of their fortunes. The quick ideological shift from Trudeau to Carney is classic Libs; if only Carty could cover the lack of consistent party ideology in more detail other than a few paragraphs… overall this is a good overview, but hardly authoritative on the success of the LPC over the years.
Kenneth Carty argues in Big Tent Politics that no political party in the democratic world has lasted longer and been more successful than the Liberal Party of Canada because of its ability to consistently reinvent itself thanks to its status as a brokerage party, muffling and suppressing divisions and attempting to balance the major divisions (Quebec vs Rest of Canada, Protestant vs Catholic) in society. The “franchise system” of leaving policy to the leader/caucus and local candidate selection kept everyone happy, until the system broke down in the 1970s. The party managed to keep winning with a close-to-secular decline in vote share and a less credible claim of being a truly national party. It’s a solid mix of basic data presentation and a recounting of history which makes it accessible both for junkies and someone with less knowledge going in. The sprinkles of comparative politics with other dominant-party democracies (which Carty would expound upon in a later book).
As to whether the Liberal Party has resolved the underlying problems Carty pointed out, the answer is “somewhat”: they’ve won 4 elections since, but 3* of them minority governments with small vote shares. The party ejected Trudeau from office, but almost nobody in the party regrets it thanks to Carney’s revival of their fortunes. The quick ideological shift from Trudeau to Carney is classic Libs; if only Carty could cover the lack of consistent party ideology in more detail other than a few paragraphs… overall this is a good overview, but hardly authoritative on the success of the LPC over the years.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews