. ▁The ▁National ▁Policy ▁dram atically ▁increased ▁pra irie ▁populations , ▁and ▁when ▁De pression ▁hit , ▁the ▁pra i ries ▁in ▁particular ▁could ▁not ▁manage ▁social ▁relief , ▁and , ▁along ▁with ▁other ▁provinces , ▁asked ▁for ▁federal ▁aid . ▁Federal ▁polit icians ▁believed ▁free ▁mark ets ▁would ▁re bal ance ▁themselves , ▁and ▁refused ▁assistance . ▁Liberal ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁William ▁Lyon ▁Mack en zie ▁King ▁refused ▁to ▁attempt ▁relief , ▁claim ing ▁it ▁would ▁end anger ▁the ▁national ▁budget . ▁Conserv ative ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Richard ▁Bed ford ▁Ben nett ▁declared ▁that ▁provinces ▁should ▁reduce ▁waste ful ▁sp ending . ▁La isse z - f aire ▁ide ology ▁under p inned ▁the ▁policies ▁of ▁Liber als ▁and ▁Conserv atives ▁al ike . ▁Provin ces ▁became ▁dis gr unt led , ▁relationships ▁with ▁Ott awa ▁became ▁stra ined , ▁and ▁so ▁it ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁crisis ▁of ▁capital ism ▁triggered ▁a ▁crisis ▁of ▁federal ism . ▁" Here ▁was ▁the ▁proof ▁that ▁the ▁[ polit ical ▁economy ] ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁business man ▁and ▁the ▁old ▁party ▁politician ▁was ▁defect ive . ▁The ▁men ▁who ▁had ▁pres ided ▁over ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁complex ▁modern ▁civil ization ▁apparently ▁did ▁not ▁know ▁how ▁to ▁keep ▁it ▁running ▁smooth ly ." ▁ ▁Mor al ism , ▁intellectual ism , ▁and ▁el it ism : ▁found ations ▁of ▁the ▁L SR ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁the ▁problems ▁of ▁political ▁economy ▁were ▁the ▁focus ▁of ▁discussion ▁for ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁" rad