Measuring “quiet” and “loud” contentious politics in a mature staples state with degenerative qualities

Abstract

This thesis examines variation in the volume of environmental contention associated with the application of the herbicide Glyphosate in a Canadian province (New Brunswick) between 2000-2023. Using interdisciplinary methodology combining research in the fields of Canadian Political Economy and Contentious Politics, the thesis examines how the sequenced actions between markets fluctuations, political regime response and regime capacity influences contentious episodes, as well as how established spatial identities further contextualize the volume of the contention. It argues that established identities allow communities to generate loud politics, despite existing within a resource dependent province whose dominant industrial-government relationship hinders collective action.