SOCIAL CREDIT PARTY

Canadian political party.

Founded in 1935 by William Aberhart , it was based on the social-credit theory of the British economist Clifford Douglas (1879–1952). By the late 1930s the party advocated employee profit sharing and shareholding. It led the provincial governments in Alberta (1935–71) and British Columbia (1952–71, 1976–1991), and it won several seats in the parliament in Ottawa between 1935 and 1980. The party suffered from internal conflicts, and at the end of the 20th century it had failed to win seats in any provincial assembly.