Rebuilding Canadian Party Politics

Eric P. Mintz is an associate professor of political science and
environmental studies at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, Memorial
University of Newfoundland.

In the view of Professors Carty, Cross, and Young, the 1993 Canadian
election signaled the transition to the fourth Canadian party system
since Confederation. This transition involves not only the collapse of
the PC Party and the rise of new parties, but also a fundamental change
from the pan-Canadian politics of the third party system to a more
regionalized politics. As well, the contemporary party system features
an electorate that is both more fragmented and demanding of a more
direct voice in politics, and a greater diversity of political parties.

Unlike previous transformations of the party system (from patronage to
regional power brokers to pan-Canadian appeals), the transition to the
fourth party system raises the real possibility that the Conservative
Party will be marginalized or will disappear. Although it has thus far
survived the collapse of the third party system, the Liberal Party will
need to reinvent itself in order to flourish in the new party system.

This book provides an interesting, clear, and well-written analysis of
Canadian party politics. It combines a useful historical perspective
with information gleaned from interviews with key party actors and
nontechnical summaries of the findings of survey research concerning the
electorate. Particular attention is given to leadership selection,
candidate nomination, party finance, and election campaigning at the
national and local levels. The authors are fair-minded, finding both
positive and negative implications of the changing party system while
avoiding the temptation to negatively portray particular parties or
personalities.

In short, Rebuilding Canadian Party Politics provides academics,
students, and general readers with an enhanced understanding of Canadian
politics; although the book was written before the 2000 election, the
analysis is of continuing relevance.