Transforming Grievances Into Sovereignty Movements
This article compares Quebec’s independence movement with Alberta’s contemporary sovereignty discourse. It argues that strong cultural nationalism and institutional cohesion are key factors in streamlining regional grievances into viable independence movements. Quebec’s sovereignty campaign was rooted in a distinct linguistic identity and organized through established political parties, allowing it to nearly achieve secession in 1995. Alberta’s movement, by contrast, is primarily driven by economic grievances and lacks comparable identity formation and party organization, limiting its political traction.
