Short History of Canadian Politics

Short History of Canadian Politics

A cyclical view of Canadian federal voting patterns.

This humorous flowchart illustrates a pattern many Canadians feel reflects the country's federal political cycle:

1. Get angry at Liberals
2. Vote Conservative to get rid of Liberals
3. Get angry at Conservatives
4. Vote Liberal to get rid of Conservatives
5. Repeat

Explanation for Non-Canadians

Canada has a **parliamentary democracy**, but unlike many multi-party systems where several parties share power or regularly alternate leadership, **only two parties** have ever formed a federal government:

• The Liberal Party of Canada – Generally centrist to center-left, often associated with social progressivism, multiculturalism, and public healthcare.
• The Conservative Party of Canada – Generally center-right, often focused on fiscal conservatism, law and order, and traditional values.

While Canada does have other political parties — including:

• The New Democratic Party (NDP) – social democratic, labour-oriented
• The Bloc Québécois – Quebec sovereignty-focused (only runs in Quebec)
• The Green Party of Canada – environmentalist

...these parties rarely win more than a small portion of the seats. Occasionally, they do **wield influence**, especially in a **minority government** situation, where the governing party lacks a majority and must rely on support from smaller parties to pass legislation. This can result in a **coalition-style influence**, but these smaller parties have **never led the federal government** in Canada.

Key Takeaway

For much of Canadian federal history, power simply shifts back and forth between the Liberals and Conservatives, often driven not by deep ideological shifts, but by **voter frustration** with the party currently in power.

This creates a **political loop**, where change is pursued not through new ideas, but by removing whoever is in charge — only for the cycle to repeat.