Moral panics and the strengthening of hegemony: The deficit and debt 'crisis' in Canada

An exploration of the formation of a new hegemony in Canada based on the principles of Neo-Liberalism is undertaken. I link Gramsci's concept of hegemony with Cohen's notion of moral panic, arguing that moral panics are a tactic that may be employed for the purpose of securing or strengthening hegemony. A combination of narrative analysis and argumentative analysis is used to examine the moral panic that was created in the Globe and Mail, around deficit and debt in Canada between 1986 and 1998. Canada's moral panic over deficits and debt is then analyzed for its contribution to the hegemony of the 'new right'. It is concluded that the moral panic that was created around deficits and debt in Canada helped to secure and strengthen the hegemony of the 'new right'.