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Federalism as a Way of Life: Reflections on the Canadian Experiment*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2009

Samuel V. LaSelva
Affiliation:
University of British Columbia

Abstract

Federalism is commonly described, in Canada and elsewhere, as a political expedient, or a constitutional arrangement, or a sociological characteristic of some societies. Federalism can also be a moral experiment that seeks to realize a way of life. Canada is an instance of such an experiment. Moreover, the moral value that grounds the Canadian experiment is not freedom or diversity, but fraternity. Federalism as fraternity has its beginnings in Cartier's vision of Confederation, and provides a vision of federalism that can sustain Canadians in their times of trouble.

Résumé

Le fédéralisme est habituellement décrit, au Canada comme ailleurs, comme une formule politique, ou un arrangement constitutionnel, ou encore comme une caractéristique sociologique de certaines sociétés. Le fédéralisme peut aussi être une expérience morale visant la réalisation d'un mode de vie. Le Canada est un exemple d'une telle expérience. La valeur morale sur laquelle le Canada repose est la fraternité et non la liberté ou la diversité. Le fédéralisme en tant que fraternité tire ses origines de la conception que Cartier avait de la Confédération et offre une vision du fédéralisme qui peut aider les Canadiens en ces temps difficiles.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 1993

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