Capital, the State, and the 1960s Appetite for Reform: From Conciliation to Containment

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From: Capitalism, Colonialism, and Crises

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This chapter outlines Canadian political and economic history from 1945-1960s. Palmer describes how Liberal governments expanded welfare and the social safety net, and how labour unions expanded, increased in power, and won workers improved incomes. Corporate pushback led to tax breaks for business and trade agreements, loss of power by unions, while Indigenous groups and Quebec sovereignists challenged the federal state.

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Contributors

Bryan D. Palmer

Bryan D. Palmer is Professor Emeritus and former Canada Research Chair, Canadian Studies, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, former editor of Labour/Le Travail, and has published extensively on the history of labour and the revolutionary left. Among his many books are Canada’s 1960s and the co-authored Toronto's Poor: A Rebellious History. In the fall of 2024, Colonialism and Capitalism: Canada's Origins 1500–1890 was published, followed by Capitalism and Colonialism: The Making of Modern Canada 1890—1960 in the spring of 2025. He lives in Warkworth, Ontario.