Prior to May 2015, the oil-rich jurisdiction of Alberta had, for over four decades, been a one-party state. During that time, the rule of the Progressive Conservatives essentially went unchallenged, with critiques of government policy falling on deaf ears and Alberta ranking behind other provinces in voter turnout. Given the province's economic reliance on oil revenues, a symbiotic relationship also developed between government and the oil industry. Cross-national studies have detected a correlation between oil-dependent economies and authoritarian rule, a pattern particularly evident in Africa and the Middle East. Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy in Canada sets out to test the "oil inhibits democracy" hypothesis in the context of an industrialized nation in the Global North. In probing the impact of Alberta's powerful oil lobby on the health of democracy in the province, contributors to the volume engage with an ongoing discussion of the erosion of political liberalism in the West. In addition to examining energy policy and issues of government accountability in Alberta, they explore the ramifications of oil dependence in areas such as Aboriginal rights, environmental policy, labour law, women's equity, urban social policy, and the arts. If, as they argue, reliance on oil has weakened democratic structures in Alberta, then what of Canada as whole, where the short-term priorities of the oil industry continue to shape federal policy? The findings in this book suggest that, to revitalize democracy, provincial and federal leaders alike must find the courage to curb the influence of the oil industry on governance.

Meenal Shrivastava is associate professor of political economy and global studies at Athabasca University. Lorna Stefanick is a professor at Athabasca University, where she serves as coordinator for the Governance, Law, and Management program.

With contributions by Ricardo Acuña, Bob Barnetson, Sara Dorow, Josh Evans, Jason Foster, Joy Fraser, Trevor Harrison, Paul Kellogg, Manijeh Mannani, Gabrielle Slowey, Peter (Jay) Smith, and Karen Wall.

Acknowledgements

Introduction . Framing the Debate on Democracy and Governance in an Oil-Exporting Economy / Meenal Shrivastava and Lorna Stefanick

PART ONE . THE CONTEXT OF DEMOCRACY IN AN OIL ECONOMY
1. Liberal Democracy in Oil-Exporting Countries: A View from the Perspective of Staples Theory / Meenal Shrivastava2. Petroleum, Politics, and the Limits of Left Progressivism in Alberta / Trevor W. Harrison3. Petro-politics in Alberta and Canada: A New Spatiality of Political Contestation? / Peter (Jay) Smith4. Alberta's Energy Paradigm: Prosperity, Security, and the Environment / Lorna Stefanick5. The Political Economy of Oil and Democracy in Venezuela and Alberta / Paul Kellogg

PART TWO . RIGHTS CLAIMS IN AN OIL ECONOMY
6. Petroleum, Patriarchy, and Power: Women's Equality in Canada and Iran / Joy Fraser, Manijeh Mannani, and Lorna Stefanick7. Development at What Cost? First Nations, Ecological Integrity, and Democracy / Gabrielle Slowey and Lorna Stefanick8. Worker Safety in Alberta: Trading Health for Profit / Bob Barnetson9. Exporting Oil, Importing Labour, and Weakening Democracy: The Use of Foreign Migrant Workers in Alberta / Jason Foster and Bob Barnetson10. Gendering Energy Extraction in Fort McMurray / Sara Dorow

PART THREE . GOVERNANCE, IDENTITY, AND CITIZENSHIP IN AN OIL ECONOMY
11. A Window on Power and Influence in Alberta Politics / Ricardo Acuña12. The Paradox of Plenty: Ending Homelessness in Alberta / Joshua Evans13. "The Sharpest Knives in the Drawer": Visual Culture at the Intersection of Oil and State / Karen Wall14. Blurring the Boundaries of Private, Partisan, and Public Interests: Accountability in an Oil Economy / Lorna Stefanick

Conclusion . Of Democracy and Its Deficits: Surviving Neoliberalism in Oil-Exporting Countries / Meenal Shrivastava

List of Contributors / Index