Political Parties in Jonquiere-Tadoussac

Political parties in Jonquiere-Tadoussac have gone through three distinct phases: the Pre-1900 phase, the Pre-Civil War phase, and the Post-Civil War or 3rd phase. Each was marked by its own unique characteristics: the Pre-1900s saw loose coalitions, the Pre-Civil War saw the emergence of a few strong parties in the National Assembly, and the 3rd phase resulted in the fragmentation of existing parties into a multitude of minor, single-issue parties.

Pre-1900 Phase

The first elections after the 1837 Fusion Accord saw local, independent candidates coming to the National Assembly and having no idea how to organize themselves. Once the first few months of debates wrapped up, most representatives had formed an alliance with several others. These began to consolidate into larger factions, which would form a loose coalition on the debate.

There were three main factions, to which 80 per cent of the representatives belonged:

• 'Démocratiques': These men (as they were all men at the time) represented the extention of the franchise for both National Assembly elections and Popular Assembly plebicites, as well as increasing the power of the National Assembly and opposing any "regressive" policies created by the king.

• 'Conservateurs': This faction stood for strong religion, the status quo, and the eradication of those indigenous peoples remaining on the eastern and western fringes of the country. They also demanded fiscal prudence from the King.

• 'Aristocratiques': A group of wealthy, privilaged men, this faction supported economic development. Apart from this, they stood unequivically in favour of the right of the King to govern absolutely, and supported any royal measures that were disputed in the National Assembly.

Pre-Civil War Parties

As the twentieth century approached and the range of candidates increased across the country, candidates began to create concrete organizations to stand for specific principles. Their membership in these organs would represent their views to the people in an easily digestible package. As more candidates registered with these organizations, they began to take on a life of their own, and became the modern political party. Three emerged as particularly powerful in the early days, and these came to control the system by 1920:

• 'Parti Démocratique':