Short History of Canadian Politics
This humorous flowchart illustrates a pattern many Canadians feel reflects the country's federal political cycle:
- Get angry at Liberals
- Vote Conservative to get rid of Liberals
- Get angry at Conservatives
- Vote Liberal to get rid of Conservatives
- Repeat
Basic 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 justice, labor-oriented
- The Bloc Québécois – Quebec sovereignty-focused (only runs in Quebec)
- The Green Party of Canada – social justice, 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.