Seeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality

by Edward Broadbent, Frances Abele, Jonathan Sas

The first full-length treatment of Ed Broadbent’s ideas and remarkable seven-decade engagement in public life Part memoir, part history, part political manifesto, Seeking Social Democracy offers the first full-length treatment of Ed Broadbent’s ideas and remarkable seven-decade engagement in public life. In dialogue with three collaborators from different generations, Broadbent leads readers through a life spent fighting for equality in Parliament and exploring the formation of his social democratic ideals, his engagement on the international stage, and his relationships with historical figures from Pierre Trudeau and Fidel Castro to Tommy Douglas, René Lévesque, and Willy Brandt. From the formative minority Parliament of 1972–1974 to the contentious national debate over Canada’s constitution to the free trade election of 1988, the book chronicles the life and thought of one of Canada’s most respected political leaders and public intellectuals from his childhood in 1930s Oshawa to the present day. Broadbent’s analysis also points toward the future, offering lessons to a new generation on how principles can inform action and social democracy can look beyond neoliberalism. The result is an engaging, timely, and sweeping analysis of Canadian politics, philosophy, and the nature of democratic leadership.

Genres: Politics, Canada, History, Biography

328 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2023

Reviews

[Donald]

Ed Broadbent led Canada's federal social-democratic party (the NDP) as world currents shifted from the postwar consensus to aggressive neoliberalism. He never became Prime Minister but made contributions to national debates such as constitutional reform, trade and poverty. This book combines personal reflections with some questions from a committee of writers. You get some interesting anecdotes, like Broadbent asking Fidel Castro to introduce multiparty elections in 1991 (Castro wasn't up for it), and some broad discussion of social-democratic values.

Broadbent discusses how his PhD supervisor was CB Macpherson, which was a funny coincidence because I just finished a book about Macpherson before picking up this one. They have similar outlooks, combining liberalism with democratic socialism. Broadbent also discusses his background in Oshawa, Ontario, where I was also born. I found I agreed with a lot of the stuff on values and the importance of industrial policy, but I also found myself racing over some of it because of how easy it was for me to agree with. The book discusses divides in the socialist movement, but not in much detail, quickly dismissing Communism as authoritarian without much grey and offering a relatively simple discussion of Quebec nationalism. That said, it's meant for a general audience, and Broadbent does get into some of the personalities involved.

A central premise of the book is that trying to win a federal majority is key for social-democrats because the power of the state to shape egalitarian outcomes. This is opposed to those activists who want to emphasize criticism of the status quo without embracing ambiguity. I think that's fine, but Broadbent didn't achieve his goals, and there isn't as much reflection on this. He performed pretty well in elections and seems decent as a person, and indirectly achieved a number of reforms, but Canadian politics has tended towards what he calls "the new barbarism". I doubt that's because of a lack of awareness of social-democratic values or because socialists didn't want to win.

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a lot

[Carlos León Llapur · Rating 2 out of 5]

The books fails at being both a historical piece for those unfamiliar with the history of late 20th century Canadian history and at being a deep exploration of the era for those already familiar with the ropes.
Ed's responses, as most of the book is in interview form, assume that the reader is familiar with the events he is describing but at the same time don't provide any deep insight into the topic apart from some personal anecdotes.
30% of the book is in appendixes that include important pieces of NDP history and speeches by Ed, if you are interested in the history you might find some value of this but you can already find the contents of these appendixes with a quick Google search.

[Lauryn Salzl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t a fan of the q&a style questions asked to Ed.I have listened to him speak on questions and do like how he explains with integrity. He is brilliant and it was interesting to find out how he shaped Canadian rights and what other parties stood for and against in those times. his take that progress made in Canada would stay in Canada and it would be enshrined seems like wishful thinking. from my perspective, in this day and age of social media, society has been swayed to vote in favour of capital instead of people.

Unfortunately socialism is always under threat and can be underfunded and undermined by all levels of government if we do not have social democrats balancing the power. We still have 1/4 of children living in poverty in this country, that statistic has not improved since 1989. We do not have electoral reform yet that we can truly vote with our hearts. There are so many aspects that would benefit everyone in a social democracy, yet getting society’s support is a flop.

Another fun aspect that I enjoyed was finding out that he worked with communist Cuba. It’s wild to think that Ed was politically active and in communication with Fidel Castro. I did find his take on communism a sign of the time he developed his understanding of everything in. Anti communist propaganda was peak levels then. I found it odd that he critiqued Castro, yet castro achieved a lot of what Ed aspired to gain.

Ed has been at the forefront of all the social progress made in Canada including human rights and the public healthcare system.I loved his enthusiasm and broad view on all aspects that make a strong society. The two major political parties only speak to the economy, by extension they are referring to upper class and the middle class. He was integral in developing NDP and all the good things that benefit human beings. However I’m not convinced that this is the answer, yes, it’s the only answer within our current political structure. It can be shook at anytime with political leaders at all levels that favour capital. Progress is hanging on by mere threads at times.

[Jack McClelland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rich, insightful history of a kind, thoughtful, and deeply impactful Canadian politician.

Ed Broadbent led the NDP from 1975 - 1989, and lived an interesting life before, during, and after. This book steers away from a traditional (auto)biography: the book's chapters begin with a short essay on a given topic, and follow with an interview-style dialogue between Broadbent and three interlocutors. While Broadbent himself has insights to offer from a seven-decade career advocating for social democracy in Canada, his interviewers are smartly selected for their lived experiences across the different generations of Canada's left. Their questions—and Ed's answers—let the reader get to know the person beyond the politician, creating an impressive and humble portrait of an important Canadian leader. While Broadbent was never elected Prime Minister, this also afforded him interesting experiences beyond Canada's borders, and I found the international reflections on Ed's career deeply insightful and interesting.

While I should add the disclaimer that I work at the Broadbent Institute, the political think tank founded by the late author, I would sincerely recommend this book to anyone looking for inspiration on the left. It's a book to savor slowly, to inspire reflection on what can be possible in one's career and one's life.

[JoeBro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the format of the book. The first section of each chapter is written by Broadbent on a particular theme and then the second portion is in an interview format. The questions are deep and interesting. I found Broadbent's take on political engagement and democratic theory to really hold up and be something that is still exciting. The historical lens is also helpful for people who don't remember life before the neoliberal revolution of the 1980-90's. It's a reminder that a different sort of social democratic thinking was possible not that long ago.

The book is, of course, broadly supportive of the NDP and social democracy. But Broadbent is candid in his analysis of his time in office and doesn't shy away from the defeats and mistakes that were made. I think that makes the book more useful to modern social democrats that an uncritical celebration.

[Tyson Orban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting historical figure whose politics I almost wholly agree with. Very interesting to go through Canada’s modern history through his eyes.

I’m not a huge fan of the interview genre, especially of retired politicians, because they have enormous records to defend.

I took issue in particular with his beef with Pierre Trudeau and what Pierre truly held in his heart, from my perspective it doesn’t matter what he held in his heart, it matters what he did and what the NDP forced him to do, the facts benefit the NDP. Also why does every leftist feel a need to glorify Castro, Broadbent didn’t, but the interviewer seems to lean that way.

Interesting how Quebec/western leftists screw socialism over, how can they take over the world if they can’t unify within a country.

[Anthony Galea]

A fascinating look into the history of social democratic politics in Canada. Each chapter begins with a few pages of autobiography followed by a conversation between Broadbent and his co-authors. 'The Great Patriation Debate' was my favourite chapter. I learned new details about the constitutional negotiations of the early 80s. For example, after the 1980 election, Pierre Trudeau invited the NDP to join a coalition government. He needed the NDP's Western Canadian MPs for constitutional reform to have national legitimacy. Politics buffs on the left, right, and center will find something interesting in this book.

[Evan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and essential book for anyone on the Canadian left and indeed the left in general. Broadbent is a gigantic figure in Canadian social democracy. His name will be well known to any who lived during his tenures in the NDP (Canada's social democratic party).

The book is set up as a conversation between Broadbent and several writers and journalists. The writers poke and prod Broadbent, mining for stories from his decades in politics up to the present. His views and approach to Trudeau Sr and Mulrooney were particularly interesting.

Ed will be sorely missed.

[Patrick Hanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at Ed Broadbent's political career and a more indepth look at the political philosophy and principles that he formulated and committed his career to. The format of the book keeps the biographical aspect of the book rather cursory, which may disappoint some, but the subsequent interviews that accompany each section of the book and the abundant evidence of the theory that guided him throughout his career which, today provides a meaningful antidote for the times that we are currently living in.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a good book that offers an interesting survey of Broadbent's career and the broader political moments of Canadian history from the 1960s to the early 2000s while providing insightful and thoughtful discussion on political philosophy, ideology, and issues that continue today. It does so in an accessible language and manner that may serve as an introduction to some of the ideas. Highly recommended.

[Byron Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm generally interested in Canadian politics. So, I expected to find this book interesting, but there was nothing in this book that really grabbed me.

The book has a unique format with essays or chapters written by Ed Broadbent and then a followup section with an interviewer asking questions and Ed's responses. The portion written by Ed was reasonably interesting. I found the Q&A sections rambled.

Overall, if you're really into politics, you might like this book.

[H Wesselius · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and nostalgic read about a time when Canadian politics were more optimistic and well more polite. The essays were well written and provided a glimpse into Broadbent's thoughts. The Q and A were a bit awkward and one could easily skip the questioner and just read Broadbent's responses.

[Steffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, perhaps because of my lack of familiarity with the subject matter. It presents an overview of the last three quarter century from the perspective of a "social democrat." This put many things in context for me.

[Nathaniel Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the format. Broadbent’s introductions to each chapter provided the context and that was followed by a conversation between the authors where subjects were unpacked. A long time supporter of Broadbent this look at his life and career inspired me to in a time when things are pretty bleak.

[Daniel Macgregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful look into old school social democracy.

[Even · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction and overview of social democracy in Canada and Ed Broadbent as a politician and political thinker.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and informative

[Ken Kingston · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Canada was in the throes of a federal election, I thought if was a good time to look back at our past and hear thoughts of someone who had been part of politics for a very long time, the late Ed Broadbent, a former leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada.

I enjoyed it, and learned a lot about the social democratic movement in Canada.

It also reminded me of what I treasure about Canadian politics, where the voices of more than just two political parties are extremely important in shaping policy.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and informative look at the history, philosophy and life of one of the most important socialist leaders in Canadian history written by the man himself

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I came away from the book a little underwhelmed, it gave me a much better understanding and appreciating of Broadbent (who I should be much more familiar with than I was) and it's difficult not to admire his conviction for positive ideals.

Biographically, it's a little bit thin, and the format, which is something of a quirky approach of biographical chapters followed by long Q&A's with the co-authors, didn't always feel terribly organic, but it does allow Broadbent to discuss many topics in a way that might not have been possible within the confines of the typical political memoir.