An original analysis of Alberta’s distinctive party system and the emergence of competitive provincial and federal politics.

Alberta is an economic powerhouse but a misunderstood and overlooked political force. The Dawn of Competitive Party Politics in Alberta examines the province’s distinctive party politics, reaching back to before the birth of the province and then shifting the focus to its political evolution over the past two decades.

Spurred by populism and alienation, Albertans united behind a center-right provincial party for much of the twentieth century while excluding themselves from Liberal-dominated federal politics. Beginning in 2006, this dynamic began to shift as the provincial right faltered, fractured, and then re-formed. The left, meanwhile, gained and then lost power but remained united in opposition. The historic pattern of a dynastic conservative bloc surrounded by minor parties was interrupted. The authors convincingly argue that these recent changes in provincial party politics may signal the imminent arrival of real competition in both provincial and federal politics, ending Alberta’s solitude and forever shaping the future of Canada.