Dissertation Project: “The Changing Face of Conservatism in Canada”

My dissertation projects examines the development of the Conservative Party of Canada overtime; it is, for the most part, interested in understanding the historic, present, and future basis of Canadian conservatism as a cohesive, distinctive, and domestically-grown ideological orientation that shapes policy outcomes. I aim to explore this question through three stand alone papers: an (1) empirical evaluation of the coherence of the Canadian “Red Tory” tradition in the historic PC Party of Canada, (2) the contemporary linkages between the CPC, US Republican Party, and the American conservative movement, and (3) the ways in which today’s Canadian conservatives have responded to emerging trends in American conservative thought, particularly challenges to the “fusionist” consensus, such as populism, national conservatism, and the broader post-liberal sphere.

Other Projects:

“Social Identity Leadership in Canada: The Impact of Group Identity and Individual Prototypicality on Leadership Attainment” (Accepted by The International Journal of Canadian Studies)

This paper focuses on how scholars can understand why certain individuals, rather than others, are successfully elected leaders in Canada. It examines the usefulness of Identity Leadership Theory (ILT) in explaining Canadian leadership outcomes by performing a comparative study of the initial electoral appeals of two successful Premiers of Alberta, William Aberhart and Peter Lougheed.

Working Papers:

“The Effects of Personality Traits, Environmental Attitudes, and Demographic Factors on Green Party Support in Canada”, with David A. Armstrong II (Revisions Submitted to The Canadian Journal of Political Science)

This paper explores the personal characteristics of Green Party of Canada voters, especially in terms of what distinguishes them from the supporters of other left-wing parties. It draws upon the Canadian Election Study (CES) to measure personality traits, demographic factors individual environmentalism, and Green party support to explore whether, first, Canadian Green voters resemble Green Party voters elsewhere and, second, if there is a discernable “Green personality type” that impacts vote choice. It finds that Green Party support is linked to pro-environmental policy attitudes, and the personality traits of conscientiousness, openness, agreeableness, and emotional stability. Supporters are also more likely to be younger, more educated, less religious, and residing in big cities.

“Post-Liberalism and the Canadian Nationalist Conservative Tradition” (In Progress)

There is an emerging debate among the right about the future of liberalism. While many conservative critics claim that liberalism is a cohesive and corrosive ideology, others continue to maintain the precise opposite: that liberalism aspires to be pragmatic and moderate, in so far as it seeks to secure a “neutral” political order that accommodates and mediates between individual differences. This dialogue, however, remains almost entirely focused on the United States. Here, I aim to draw upon elements of the Canadian conservative tradition, particularly George Grant and John Farthing, to provide novel insights into the relationship between liberalism and specific conservative goals like community cohesion, nation-building, and the common good.

“The Life, Death, and Rebirth of the Dominant Political Party” (In Progress)

This paper, through a number of case studies, examines the counterintuitive phenomenon of the Dominant Political Party and the Dominant Party System. It examines how these parties originate, how they sustain power, and whether they are consistent with democratic theory, particularly as a number of party systems are coming to resemble this pattern.

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