The election of Donald Trump and the political circus that has resulted has left many observers scratching their heads. What real impact will the Trump government have on the United States? Could a Trump be elected in Canada? If one were, what impact would it have?
Due to the design of the American government, Trump will likely achieve very little during his time in office. The structure of their system was conceived by a group of men responding to flaws they saw in the British government which they had rejected. Though their system would be democratic, they were well aware of the fact that a tyrant could be elected. The American founding fathers therefore created three branches of government, the legislative (the House of Representatives and Senate), the executive, (the President), and the judicial. The system of checks and balances between the three have already stymied many Trumpian efforts.
Given the added impact of the mobilization of the American public since Trump's election, with people speaking out embracing their democratic rights to a degree that hasn't been seen for decades, it is certainly conceivable that the next elected American government will be more responsive to the needs of the common person.
But what if a Trump were elected in Canada? It would be nave of us to deny this possibility, however remote it may seem. Given the structure of our political system, a Trump-like Prime Minister could wreak havoc on much of what we hold dear as Canadians.
Our political structure was not designed as much as it evolved. In Great Britain and later in Canada, the House of Commons gradually gained more power through the centuries as the monarchy and House of Lords (Senate) lost political clout. Today the monarchy holds no real legislative power, and the Senate, while gaining influence, is still quite limited. In addition, our members of parliament and provincial legislatures tend to vote according to the directives of their political parties. Given this structure, with a majority government, a tyrannical prime minister or provincial premier could have their way with nothing to hold them in check but our slow moving judicial system.
Fortunately, until now we have elected good people to government. Though I often disagree with the opinions and policies of my elected representatives, I respect and appreciate them because I know that they are working hard for my community, and they will listen to my opinions as an informed constituent. The same can be said for their party leaders.
The question now is whether we are going try to maintain the status quo or we are going to call for our system of government to continue its evolutionary process.
On that note, there is a fascinating parliamentary experiment taking place right now in British Columbia. We have a minority NDP government which has not formed a coalition government, but has entered a "confidence and supply agreement" with the Green Party to ensure that their government does not fall on a confidence vote. What is unique about this agreement is that on bills that are not confidence issues, members of Green Party are free to vote as they choose. At any given time, a Green Party representative could side with the opposition Liberals.
In addition, the B.C. legislature is calling for a referendum on voter reform in 2018, which if passed would result in some form of proportional representation. This method of choosing a government is much less likely to result in a majority government, thus further limiting the power of the premier.
We have a great deal to be thankful for in our country and much of it has resulted from the fact that we have a stable and effective democratically elected government. It is our responsibility as voters to ask ourselves the difficult questions to ensure that our country remains a global model of effective democracy for generations to come.
Gerry Chidiac is a champion for social enlightenment, inspiring others to find their greatness in making the world a better place. For more of his writings, go to www.gerrychidiac.com.
