Democratic Socialism: The CCF Option

J.S. Woodsworth, founder of the CCF

Source, by permission: National Archives of Canada

The CCF was founded in 1932, with a clear ideological statement, The Regina Manifesto. The party represented a clear movement away from the mainstream politics of the Conservatives and the Liberals. The first leader of the party was a Methodist minister, J.S.Woodsworth, and the party is often associated with a movement called the "social gospel". Tommy Douglas articulated many of the ideals of the party in his famous Mouseland speech.

Assignment

1. Examine the Regina Manifesto section by section.

a) How did each section represent a response to problems of the Depression?

b) What parts of the Manifesto have been implemented in Canada, either provincially or federally?

c) What parts of the Manifesto have not become reality and why?

2. Click onto a timeline of the CCF-NDP in Canada to see the key events in the party history.

a) Create a line graph showing the voting record.

b) Form a hypothesis about why the party has never formed a federal government, using statistics such as the record of voting in federal elections, analyzing results for the party over time and space.

 

Glossary: manifesto, democratic socialism, socialist/socialism