Buying Votes, Building Identities: Federal Social Policy Responses to Sub-State Nationalism in Québec

Abstract

In the mid-1990s, the Canadian federal government was challenged by the ascendence of nationalist politics in Québec. This article will show how the federal government has used social policy to create and maintain a broader pan-Canadian identity in the face of sub-state nationalism in Québec. Linking literature on nationalism, identity, federalism, and regime support, it will examine the impact of social welfare policies on political identification in Québec to determine the extent and efficacy of the Canadian federal government's social policy responses to sub-state nationalism. Findings include a marked preference for direct service delivery by the federal government and a coincident rise in affective and instrumental support for federal spending and jurisdiction in areas of sole provincial responsibility. Using the cases of child care and post-secondary education, this article argues that the Canadian government has been successful in reinforcing attachment to a pan-Canadian identity through direct transfers to citizens.

Keywords:

• sub-state nationalism
• social policy
• electoral politics
• identity
• attachment

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank to Drs. Ron Watts and Keith Banting for input on early versions of this manuscript, and Dr. Steven Burg for invaluable assistance with data analysis and editing. Many thanks are owed to the faculty and staff of the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations at Queen's University for providing resources and experts for every question. Public opinion data were provided by the Canadian Opinion Research Archive at Queen's University. In addition, I would like to acknowledge the helpful and insightful comments offered by three anonymous reviewers and the support provided by Project CONNECT.

Notes

1. The first Québec referendum was held in May 20, 1980, and resulted in 60 percent of voters rejecting sovereignty association (Canadian Encyclopedia 2011a). The second referendum was held on October 30, 1995 and resulted in 50.56 percent voting ‘No’ to the question, “Do you agree that Québec should become sovereign, after having made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership, within the scope of the Bill respecting the future of Québec and of the agreement signed on 12 June 1995?” (Canadian Encyclopedia 2011b). This article is especially concerned with the aftermath of the 1995 referendum.

2. In 1997, the province of Québec was allocated 75 of the 301 total seats (Elections Canada 2010). Due to population-based readjustment, representatives from Québec currently hold 75 of 308 total seats (Parliament of Canada 2007).

3. In Canada, these identities include English-Canadian, French-Canadian, Aboriginal, and the various identities of recent immigrants.

4. Though this article is concerned with child care and post-secondary education, there have also been significant federal investments in the areas of child benefits and disability savings plans in recent years (Department of Finance Canada 2010, 2011).

5. There is one French-language university system in New Brunswick and Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario each have one French-language college. There are other bilingual programs in most provinces (Government of Canada 2008).

6. Though this article is concerned specifically with Québécois asymmetry, other provinces have resisted federal involvement in social policies, often grounded in regional interests.