Conservatism in Canada
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Political conservatism in Canada is gener-
ally considered to be primarily represented
by the Conservative Party of Canada at the
federal level, and by various right-leaning
parties at the provincial level. The first party
calling itself "Conservative" in what would
become Canada was elected in the Province
of Canada election of 1854.
Canadian conservatism has always been
rooted in a preference for the traditional and
established ways of doing things, even as it
has shifted in economic, foreign and social
policy. Like Edmund Burke, they rejected the
sense of both ideology and revolution, prefer-
ring pragmatism and evolution. It is for that
reason that unlike in the conservatives in the
United States, Canadian conservatives are
generally not republicans, preferring the
monarchy and Westminster system of govern-
ment. (Note: The United States of America is
a federal republic, while Canada is a constitu-
tional monarchy, a distinction resulting from
the American Revolution and its aftermath.)
History
The conservative movement
in Canada
evolved from relatively informal pre-Confed-
eration political movements or parties,
gradually coalescing into the Conservative
Party. This party was the dominant political
force in Canadian politics from 1867 to 1891.
Thereafter, the party (renamed Progressive
Conservative [PC] in 1945) spent more time
in opposition than in government. During the
twentieth century rival