Young Quebec Sovereignists and Attitudes About Canadian Federalism (Essay‪)‬

Much is known about the propensity for sovereignty support among young Quebecers. This is especially true of young francophone Quebecers, whose support for sovereignty is consistently and visibly high. Indeed, a common sight on Quebec campuses is knapsacks that adorn the Fleur-de-lys and a pin that proudly espouses: "Ma generation est souverainiste." As noted by Drouilly, the near victory of the YES side in the 1995 referendum was due in part to the youth. It is no wonder the basis of support for sovereignty among Quebec's youth has drawn considerable attention (see, for example, Belanger and Perrella; Martin and Nadeau; Martinez; Pinard; Piroth). Yet, attitudes that young sovereignists hold about Canada are less explored. In particular, what exactly do they know--and dislike--about the Canadian federation? This is far less known, but nonetheless critical in gaining a more complete understanding of the formation of political attitudes regarding the perennial "Quebec question".