Nationalism, Regionalism, and Strategic Learning in Federal Systems: Drawing on the Quebec Model in Alberta

Abstract

ABSTRACT Territorial and intergovernmental tensions are particularly strong in multinational federations like Canada. In this article, we study how Quebec has become an explicit model for Alberta in its own quest for greater autonomy and influence within the Canadian federation. After discussing the notion of strategic learning as it relates to different types of territorial politics (substate nationalism, regionalism, and jurisdictionalism), the article explores three instances of explicit political borrowing from Quebec in contemporary Alberta politics: 1) public statements by provincial leaders advocating increased provincial autonomy; 2) the use of a referendum as a tool to put pressure on the federal government to adopt positions and policies friendly to the Alberta government, as occurred in 2021 with the consultation on equalization; and 3) the development of an Alberta-centered federal party with a secessionist position to bolster the influence of the province in federal politics, as occurred with the Maverick Party.