Abstract

Using survey data drawn from the 2014 Provincial Diversity Project, this thesis provides a look at how the 1982 Constitution Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms shaped the political identities of Canadians and their understanding of the federation. More specifically, it examines how native-born Canadians and first-generation immigrants balance provincial and federal identities. My findings show that those introduced to Canada following the enactment of the 1982 Constitution have a stronger pro-Canada balancing of identity and weaker feelings of regional alienation relative to those introduced before 1982.

Additionally, this thesis explores the limits of institutional learning theory by examining how the strength of Canadian identity may predict the levels of support for national policies: multiculturalism, bilingualism, the equalization payments program, and feelings of regional alienation. My findings show that generally, the relationship between strength of Canadian identity and support for national policies is of equal strength among pre-, peri-, and post-Charter generations. Ultimately this thesis concludes that while it cannot demonstrate a clear generational break in the political behaviour of native-born Canadians and first-generation immigrants, the observed differences between Charter relative generations can be attributed to the enactment of the 1982 Constitution.