A seismic shift? Understanding the realignments and transformations of Quebec political life
For several years, and particularly during the last few electoral cycles, the political landscape in Quebec has been changing. The end of the two-party system, the renewal of the actors in the political system (in terms of political parties as well as elected officials), the nature of the salient political issues in the public arena, and the behaviour of the electorate all point to a splintering of the political scene—which is symptomatic of a realignment. This thematic issue aims to analyze how this phenomenon is articulated and what its consequences are for political life in Quebec. Our introductory article paints a picture of these transformations, particularly with regard to electoral dynamics, the various major political cleavages and the political actors. It also shows how this phenomenon deserves attention by analyzing, for example, the upcoming electoral cycles, the changing practices of political communication and the consequences of political changes at the institutional level. Finally, it presents several contributions to this thematic issue.