Few Americans have taken much notice, given the vast amount of other political news. But two Canadian provinces - Alberta and Quebec - may be holding referendums on secession in the near future. If the votes are held, the secessionists are likely to lose in both cases. But these events are still of interest to students of federalism and secession, and to anyone who cares about the future of America's northern neighbor and one of our most important allies. And history shows that secession movements often persist even after defeat in a referendum.
In Quebec, the separatist Parti Quebecois (PQ) is leading in the polls and favored to take power in the upcoming October provincial election. They promise to hold a secession referendum if they prevail. Their victory is far from completely certain, given Quebec's complex five party system, and the closeness of the polls. The PQ, the Quebec Liberal Party and the current ruling party - the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) - are all within a few points of each other in recent polls.
