The Calgary School is a name used to refer to a group of academics from the University of Calgary’s Political Science, Economics, and History departments in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. While many might consider themselves conservative, there are other themes that bind its members. In particular, support for strong provinces able to act against the federal government and the need for greater western influence in Ottawa.
The term, originally a play on the Chicago school of economics, was coined by American political scientist David Rovinsky.[1]
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The school is not an official organization and has no membership list. The first six below were included in the group in an article in The Walrus[2], the rest in a letter by Tom Flanagan to the Literary Review of Canada[3]:
The school has at times included other academics from the University of Calgary and other universities, many of whom would strongly disagree on important matters of politics and political theory. As well, it is politically and socially connected to others who share a common view of politics, including members of the former Reform Party of Canada, Canadian Alliance party]] and current federal Conservative Party of Canada.
The school is politically conservative and has been described in the The Walrus magazine as supporting "a rambunctious, Rocky Mountain brand of libertarianism" that seeks "lower taxes, less federal government, and free markets unfettered by social programs such as medicare that keep citizens from being forced to pull up their own socks."[2] Strong provinces and a reduced role for the federal government are seen by some members of the School as a natural corollary of these positions.
There are tensions between the socially conservative and economically conservative factions within the school. Bercuson publicly criticized Morton's social policies, saying "[they] were hard to stomach for a libertarian."[4] Such division brings into question whether its members reflect a coherent "school" of thought.
The members of the school, particularly Flanagan, are also said to be followers of the American political philosopher Leo Strauss, their detractors interpreting this as sharing his "deep suspicion of liberal democracy". Flanagan himself has specifically denied charges that he is a Straussian, calling himself rather a Hayekian, referring to the Nobel Prize winning economist and political philosopher, Friedrich Hayek.
While it is always difficult to gauge the impact or influence of such groups, it appears that its members have played a role in the reshaping of Conservative politics in Canada since 1993.
The long dominance of the centrist Liberal Party of Canada at the federal level in Canadian politics was maintained in part during the 1990s by competition between two right wing parties, the older Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the newer Reform Party of Canada.
Members of the School, notably Flanagan, worked hard to turn the Reform Party into the dominant right wing party, later to encourage a coalition of right wing parties, and finally to facilitate the merger of the two parties into the new Conservative Party of Canada. Flanagan played a key role in the development of the platform and in particular the campaign and fundraising strategies of the new party.
Leader of the party, and later Prime Minister Stephen Harper, had been a student at the University of Calgary, participating in discussions with members of the school and Preston Manning in the lead up to the formation of the Reform Party of Canada .
Ted Morton's elevation to the cabinet of the Progressive Conservative government of Alberta and later to the position of Finance Minister in the Ed Stelmach government and Energy Minister in the first Alison Redford-led government is another perceived route of influence for the School.
At the same time, members of the school are involved in the Wildrose Party led by Danielle Smith, which aims to dethrone the incumbent Progressive Conservative government, indicating differences among its members in how best to pursue any shared political agenda.