The Roots of Rural Resentment: Conservatism and the (Ab)Uses of Populism in Saskatchewan

Date: Friday, Nov. 22
Time: 4 pm
Location: Room 106, Arts Building

About this event

Dr. Simon Enoch (PhD) is presenting this talk as part of the Political Studies Speaker Series. He is the director of the Saskatchewan Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

As right-wing populism has become an emergent phenomenon throughout the western world, many commentators link its growth to the idea of "rural resentment." As Katherine Kramer explains, this is a perspective that encompasses "a strong identity as a rural resident, resentment towards the cities and a belief that rural communities are not given their fair share of resources or respect."

While many see the growth of rural resentment and right-wing populism as a recent phenomenon, the political history of Saskatchewan over the past 40 years is replete with examples of politicians attempting to stoke these kinds of resentments for political gain. Indeed, the shifting politics of the province, from social democratic to conservative, as well as the success of the Saskatchewan Party and demise of the NDP, can best be explained through the lens of rural resentment and the use and abuse of populist themes from the 1980s to the present.

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