Shifting Sands: Political Culture and Public Opinion in Alberta

Shifting Sands explores the space between the values embedded in Alberta’s traditional political culture and the winds of change in public opinion. Shifting Sands challenges the notion that Alberta is a conservative monoculture. Drawing on five years of survey data, the book offers fresh perspectives on how Albertans think about politics, themselves, and the province’s future. Chapters push beyond stereotypes and myths grounded in the province’s “Wild West” past to show the complexity underpinning modern Alberta politics. Contributors examine the roots and rise of populism, separatism, polarization, and conspiratorial thinking, revealing how these factors have reshaped the province’s party system, policy landscape, and sense of community. Shifting Sands is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand where Alberta has come from and what lies ahead for one of Canada’s most turbulent provinces. Contributors: Emily Boivin, Brendan Boyd, Rob Currie-Wood, Hannah Diner, Elaine Hyshka, Michelle Maroto, Eyene Okpanachi, Gala Palavicini, Rissa Reist, Feodor Snagovsky, David K. Stewart, Angelia Wagner, Evan Walker, Jared J. Wesley, Lisa Young