The saltfish industry in Newfoundland, as a cyclical extractive industry dependent on an open-access resource, went through multiple periods of boom and bust.

Today, Canadian citizens aged 18 and older have the right to vote in federal, provincial, and municipal elections. This is known as universal suffrage.

Public education in Newfoundland and Labrador, since its beginnings in the early 19th century, has largely been shaped by religion and the economy.