Parties, Elections, and the Future of Canadian PoliticsOn 2 May 2011, Canadians watched as the Stephen Harper Conservatives won their first majority government. Jack Layton led the NDP to its best performance in history, and Michael Ignatieff and the federal Liberals had their worst showing to date. For most casual observers, this election marked a major shift in Canadian politics. In reality, the countrys political landscape and national party system had been changing for quite some time. Parties,