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For this reason, when we study political culture, we move beyond surveys. Using focus groups, our @cgroundpolitics team asks participants to "draw me an Albertan". Most, as you can imagine, drew cowboys, farmers, and rig workers.
Indeed, regardless of their own personal backgrounds and beliefs, most people agreed that the "quintessential Albertan" was a middle-aged white guy working in agriculture or oil and gas. That tells us a bit about who Albertans picture when they think of "the Average Albertan" .
Governments and leaders think this way, too, whether purposefully or subconsciously. Like citizens, they are guided by a sense of what "Joe the Farmer" or "Al the Oilworker" will accept. Would Al or Joe accept a PST? No? Then it's not worth sticking my neck out to propose it.
Which brings us back to pandemic policy. In his remarks to Albertans, @jkenney has hinted at what he thinks Albertans will accept. He's used the phrase 'I never thought an Alberta premier would contemplate a lockdown,' hinting at the bounds of acceptability in this province.
I wonder daily: if we were allowed back into the field to ask our focus groups "what would Joe think about a mask mandate, or a full lockdown?" Ironically, coronavirus prevents us from meeting with them to ask.
Based on what we've heard in our research, though, I think Joe would be conflicted. On one hand, Joe is decidedly libertarian. He wants decisions to be made by families, not governments. On the other, Joe has proven quite empathetic when misfortune touches someone he knows.
Joe was surprisingly progressive on topics of substance abuse, for instance, as it's an affliction that's reached into his communities. As the case numbers climb, Joe is more likely to know a victim of COVID-19. And that could change his view about state intervention.
So to answer the initial question, until elected government officials sense that Joe's mind has changed, we're not likely to see them change theirs.
