LE3 .A278 2000

2000

Stewart, Ian

Acadia University

Master of Arts

Masters

Political Science

Politics

'From Caraquet to Lord' studies relations between francophones and anglophones within the province of New Brunswick since Confederation. In other places where two or more cultures intersect, a confrontation often develops, occasionally resulting in civil instability and even war. However, New Brunswick deviates from this pattern. What have the people of this province done differently to avoid the tension that frequently occurs within a bi-ethnic society? What they have done is practiced the politics of accommodation, mainly through the activities of their leaders. An examination of campaign strategies, cabinet formations, and the composition of the civil service shows a pattern of elite cooperation in New Brunswick that may be absent elsewhere. The path in finding an answer to this query has been lit by a number of political scientists. Arend Lijphart and Edmund Aunger both provide the theoretical framework required in order to view clearly what has transpired in the province. However, this analysis has significantly revised the consociational theory in order to account for activities that have occurred in New Brunswick during the past three decades. This elite accommodation found in the province has taken the form of two consociational "deals." Each had separate terms and conditions, although both had a similar goal in mind: the placement of language issues off the political agenda. The first deal ended in 1960, while the second has been in operation for over thirty years. These consociational arrangements have provided the province of New Brunswick with the stability it requires to remain peaceful in an ever-changing world.

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