It is hard to overstate the political upheaval that occurred in Alberta’s May 5 election. The NDP soared from four seats to a 54-seat majority. Wildrose grew from five seats to a 22-seat Official Opposition. And the PCs plummeted from 70 seats to 10. A 44-year-dynasty ended, certainly, but according to Trevor Shelley, so did a 110-year-old tradition of dynastic politics. Its likely successor, writes Shelley, is a two-party state, sharply defined as progressive vs conservative, in accord with Tocqueville’s democratic ideal, the rule in most Canadian provinces, and the apparent trend in Ottawa.