The Presence (or Lack Thereof) of a Federal Culture in Canada: The Views of Canadians

Abstract

Canada may be among the oldest federations in the world but this says nothing about the strength of federalism in Canada. Based on the results of public opinion polling and roundtables with provincial government officials, this article argues that the political culture of federalism in Canada is quite weak. With the notable exception of Québec, Canadians in general and the provincial government officials who work on their behalf demonstrate little understanding of the basic logic of federalism or, when they do, are willing to trade off federalism values against concerns about efficiency, private goods, and meeting the needs of clients and consumers.