Dufourism
Dufourism (Quebecshirite: Dufourisme) is a Montesayettean political ideology, named after Sévérine Dufour, the leader of the Social Democratic Party. The ideology includes not only her political platform and specific policies but also embodies her personal character and style of governance while in office. Dufourism supporters are called Dufourites. The term 'Dufourism' originated to describe the guiding principles of the Montesayettean government during Sévérine Dufour's tenure as Montesayettean president, spanning from the 1981 general election to her retirement in 1997. However, its influence extended beyond her leadership. It continues to shape administrative efforts under subsequent Social Democratic governments, including those led by Antonin Poulin, Rogier David, and Léonard Dreyfus, up to the present day.
Dufourites are considered a faction of the broader socio-economic movement known as the Third Way, which emerged in the 1980s, encompassing various center- and center-left progressive movements. The movement aimed to reassess political policies in response to concerns about economic sustainability and the perceived overreliance on interventionist economic measures. Influenced by Bernardomics legacy, Dufourism retains core features unique to Montesayettean politics. This includes political pragmatism, a heavy-handed approach using authoritative policies to streamline bureaucratic processes. It also includes assertive, paternalistic social engineering with a strong emphasis on multiculturalism.
Dufourism represents a systematic rejection of Montesayette's long-standing governance consensus. This is where the majority of the Social Democratic Party historically supported central themes such as the welfare state, nationalized industries, and close regulation of the Montesayettean economy. While not directly tied to Bernardomics, Dufourism is influenced by it. This is particularly evident in the successes of reforming the Montesayettean healthcare system from a single-payer universal healthcare model in 1941 to a more balanced approach, mandating citizens to allocate a portion of their incomes to an account reserved for medical use. Dufourist policies also include pan-Ecrosianism, increasing defense spending, championing feminism, advocating drug liberalization instead of a war on drugs, reducing direct taxation while increasing indirect taxation, business subsidization, and promoting high-tech development. These distinctive policy directions demonstrate a clear departure from the traditional Montesayettean political landscape under Dufourism.
