Canada's Climate Daily

Though the results are clear, the U.S. remains mired in political turmoil nearly a week after Joe Biden was declared president-elect.

Since election day, the Trump campaign has filed numerous lawsuits involving unfounded claims of voter fraud. Attorney General William Barr recently authorized federal prosecutors to look into voter fraud allegations before states certify their election results, prompting the Justice Department's top election crimes official to resign.  

For many Canadians, the obsession over the U.S. election stems from fear, Andrea Reimer writes: “Specifically the fear that whenever something ails the democracy next door, it will inevitably creep over the border and infect democracy at home.”

Indeed, some of the same issues currently threatening American democracy have cropped up north of the border. Canadian politics faces increasing polarization, albeit not to the same extent as our southern neighbours. Rising disinformation and online conspiracy theories seek to sow division in our society, and Canada has seen an uptick in hate groups in recent years.

To be fair, there are at least some aspects of our democracy that seem to function without political interference: an independent national agency oversees our elections, and non-partisan commissions are responsible for drawing the electoral districts in which we vote. Canadians’ general satisfaction with democracy also grew in 2020 while populist attitudes declined, according to a report from the Samara Centre for Democracy.

But there are still lessons to take away from the Trump era and, Reimer writes, Canadian democracy could use a checkup in light of what’s unfolding down south. Tackling hate and disinformation are part of that effort, but so is revisiting the parts of our democratic process that work and addressing the parts that don’t. Otherwise, we may find ourselves facing the same spectre of authoritarianism in future.