This article distills key insights from a peer-reviewed study exploring why grand policy schemes like the Great Reset often fail in places like Newfoundland and Labrador. The authors introduce the concept of the local paradox: that bold, top-down strategies rely on strong local governance for successful implementation — yet those very strategies often emerge in regions where such local capacity is absent, fragile, or disincentivized. The case of Newfoundland illustrates how path dependencies, historic shocks, and a long-standing culture of patronage politics have eroded the institutions needed for democratic reinvention. The province’s cycle of failed resets — from resource megaprojects to federal development boards — reveals why transformative planning cannot succeed without real local strategy, legitimacy, and capacity.
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