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Buying Votes, Building Identities: Federal Social Policy Responses to Sub-State Nationalism in Québec

In the mid-1990s, the Canadian federal government was challenged by the ascendence of nationalist politics in Québec. This article will show how the federal government has used social policy to create and maintain a broader pan-Canadian identity in the face of sub-state nationalism in Québec. Linking literature on nationalism, identity, federalism, and regime support, it will examine the impact of social welfare policies on political identification in Québec to determine the extent and efficacy of the Canadian federal government's social policy responses to sub-state nationalism. Findings include a marked preference for direct service delivery by the federal government and a coincident rise in affective and instrumental support for federal spending and jurisdiction in areas of sole provincial responsibility. Using the cases of child care and post-secondary education, this article argues that the Canadian government has been successful in reinforcing attachment to a pan-Canadian identity through direct transfers to citizens.