In this episode, MLI Communications and Digital Media Manager Brett Byers is joined by Munk Senior Fellow Sean Speer to discuss his recent commentary paper, “Working-Class Opportunity and the Threat of Populism in Canada.”
Speer’s piece locates the cause of rising populism – as witnessed in the US, UK, and elsewhere – in the anxieties felt by working-class people facing economic dislocation. From this premise, he contends that preventing the rise of populism in Canada will require policymakers to address the uncertain economic futures of Canadians without post-secondary education.
This episode considers this argument in the context of an ongoing national discussion about diversity and political representation. It also touches on several related topics such as identity, differing models of income support, and natural resource development.
Speer’s commentary can be read in full here.
