Canadian intellectual F. R. Scott and his impact upon the establishment of political culture in Canada in the XX century

The subject of this research is the personality of the Canadian intellectual Francis Reginald Scott and his impact upon the state and development of political culture in Canada in the XX century. The evolution of Canadian political culture during the life of F. R. Scott affected by the objective historical factors that formed its distinctive features, new political traditions and new Canadian values, as well as by intresubjective factor, through which manifested the influence of Canadian intellectuals, politicians and public figures. The research methodology leans on the scientific principles of historicism, systematicity and objectivity, intersubjective and societal approaches; and special historical methods of research, such as comparative, typological, genetic and systemic. The scientific novelty lies in tracing the evolution of Canadian political culture in the XX century. The acquired results can be used in further research of the history of political cultures of foreign countries, as well as in scientific-pedagogical activity. The author concludes the evolution of Canadian political culture during the life of F. R. Scott was affected not only by objective historical factors, but also by intresubjective factor, through which manifested the impact of political and social activity of F. R. Scott. The author’s special contribution consists in the new approach towards characterization of political cultures of different nations, which obtained their uniqueness in the course of historical development.

Federal-Provincial Relations and Conservatism in the Canadian West

Regionalism has been a prominent feature of Western Canadian political culture even prior to Alberta and Saskatchewan joining confederation in 1905. One manifestation of this regionalism is through intergovernmental conflict, particularly jurisdictional disputes between the provincial and federal governments. These disputes have generally seen provincial governments of various ideological leanings cooperate, and yet decentralization–or expansion of provincial jurisdiction–is a position that has largely been advanced by conservatives in recent decade.1Is there an ideological connection between expansion of provincial jurisdiction and conservatism? This essay contends that the conservative ideology particular to Western Canada was uniquely influenced by the dynamic of federal-provincial relations in Canada because of particular features of the region’s brand of conservatism. This essay will demonstrate that ongoing disputes between western provinces–Alberta in particular–and the federal government, particularly over natural resource issues, have reinforced a dynamic of regionalism within Western Canadian conservatism, leading it to become the perennial feature of conservative policy, federally and provincially, that it is today.[...]