The problems of, and prospects for, a social-democratic government in contemporary Canada are explored in this in-depth analysis of governance at the provincial level during the 1990s and the early 21st century. Specific attention is paid to the competitive nationalism of the Parti Québécois, the pragmatic idealism of the New Democratic Party (NDP) in Manitoba, and the NDP`s embrace of Third Way neoliberalism. Through five case studies, this examination details the constraints of neoliberal globalization and the resulting effects on the governments in different provinces.