Contents
A look at how Canada’s political system is different from the United States and why it leads to less division.
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The two-party system in the USA
In the United States, the vast majority of people identify as either Republicans or Democrats. This creates a very divisive political environment, where people are often at odds with each other. In Canada, on the other hand, there are many different political parties. As a result, the political environment is not nearly as divisive.
The Republicans
The Republican Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. The party is also commonly known as the GOP, which stands for “Grand Old Party.” The party’s ideology is conservative, and it supports lower taxes, smaller government, and restrictions on social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. The Republican Party has been in power for most of the last century, but has seen its share of ups and downs.
The Democrats
The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States, and is the oldest political party in the world. The party’s modern foundations were laid by Andrew Jackson and his supporters in the 1820s and 1830s. The Democrats dominated politics until 1932, when Franklin D. Roosevelt formed the New Deal Coalition which pulled together a diverse group of voters supporting different interests. Since Roosevelt’s time, the Democratic Party has promoted a social liberal platform, supporting civil rights and minority rights.
The Democratic Party has its origins in pro-slavery factions within the Democratic-Republican Party which fought against the abolitionist elements led by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. After the war ended, these factions reunited and eventually evolved into today’s Democratic Party.
Today, the party is composed of a diverse coalition of voters including minorities, women, labor union members, environmental activists, and liberal intellectuals. The party supports an expansive role for government in society, including universal healthcare and investment in infrastructure and education. It also advocates for stronger regulation of Wall Street and business interests to protect consumers and workers from exploitation.
The multi-party system in Canada
In Canada, there are many political parties represented in Parliament. This means that no one party has a majority, and the government has to work with other parties to pass legislation. This can make politics more divisive in the United States, where there are only two main parties.
The Liberals
The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada), colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism, and generally sits at the centre of the Canadian political spectrum. The Liberal Party is traditionally positioned to the left of the Conservative Party of Canada and to the right of the New Democratic Party (NDP).
The party has dominated federal politics for much of Canada’s history, holding power for almost 69 years in the 20th century—more than any other party in a developed country—and as a result, it has been referred to as Canada’s “natural governing party”. During the nadir of its fortunes inthe late 20th century, it lost power to the Progressive Conservative Party three times in four general elections between 1984 and 1993. Between 2015 and 2019, however, the Liberals generally governed in an informal coalition with several provincial liberal parties across Canada.
The Conservatives
The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), colloquially known as the Tories, is a federal political party in Canada. It was formed in 2003 from the merger of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance. The new party was led by Stephen Harper until his resignation in 2015, being succeeded by Andrew Scheer.
The party sits at the centre-right to the right on the political spectrum, with their policies generally falling within libertarianism, fiscal conservatism and social conservatism. They are formally opposed to multiculturalism andrecent attempts at expanding official bilingualism. They support voluntary unionization, capital punishment, as well as supporting restrictions on abortion and same-sex marriage.
The New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; French: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a social-democratic[19][20] federal political party in Canada. The party was founded in 1961 out of the merger of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). On the issue of dual membership, Leslie Frost, who would later serve as Premier of Ontario from 1950 to 1961, was one of few provincial premiers who did not believe that additional federal representation was needed in Ottawa.
The NDP’s founding caucus consisted of 24 members from across Canada, including 14 former CCF MPs and 10 former CLC members. The CCF had previously formed the first social-democratic government in North America when it was elected to power in 1944 in Saskatchewan under Premier Tommy Douglas. The NDP’s first federal leader was Stanley Knowles, who served from 1960 to 1961.
The party sits to the left of the Liberal Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons. They are sometimes called “progressives”,[21][22] but that is not an official designation. The current leader is Jagmeet Singh, who was elected on October 1, 2017; he is the first non-white person to lead a major political party in Canada.
The Green Party
The Green Party of Canada is a political party in Canada that was founded in 1983. The party’s central values are environmentalism, social justice, and participatory democracy. The Greens have run candidates in federal, provincial, and municipal elections across the country, and currently have one member of Parliament.
The party’s leader is Elizabeth May, who was elected in 2006. May is the first Green Party member to sit in the House of Commons. In the 2011 federal election, the party received 3.9% of the popular vote and elected one MP.
The Green Party’s platform includes policies on a wide range of issues, including climate change, energy policy, indigenous rights, democratic reform, and poverty reduction.
The Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a political party in Canada that promotes the interests of Quebec. It was formed in 1991 by the merger of two previous parties, the Bloc Québécois and the Parti Québécois. The Bloc is currently the third-largest party in the House of Commons, with 10% of seats.
The Bloc’s primary focus is on Quebec sovereignty and protecting Quebec’s interests within Canada. However, the party also has a social democratic platform, and supports issues such as environmental protection and Indigenous rights. The Bloc has been described as a “left-wing” party by some commentators.
The party has had mixed results in elections since its formation. In the 1993 federal election, ־the Bloc won 54 seats and became the Official Opposition. However, in the 1996 election, the Bloc lost 17 seats and was reduced to 37 seats. In recent years, the Bloc has been on a steady decline in electoral support, and won only 10 seats in 2019 federal election.
Despite its decline in electoral support, the Bloc Québécois remains an important player in Canadian politics, especially on issues related to Quebec sovereignty.
The impact of the two different systems
In the United States, the President is elected by the people through the Electoral College. In Canada, the Prime Minister is not elected by the people, but by the Members of Parliament in the House of Commons. The two systems are different and this has an impact on the level of divisiveness in politics.
The USA
In the United States, there are two main political parties: the Republicans and the Democrats. The Republicans are considered to be more conservative, while the Democrats are considered to be more liberal. However, there is a lot of variation within each party, and it is not always easy to predict how a particular politician will vote on an issue.
In addition to the two major parties, there are also many minor parties in the United States. These include the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Constitution Party, among others. It is possible for a candidate to win an election without being affiliated with any party at all.
The United States has a lot of political polarization. This means that people who identify with one party tend to strongly disagree with people who identify with the other party. This can make political discussion and debate very heated and emotional.
## Canada
In Canada, there are two main political parties: the Liberals and the Conservatives. The Liberals are considered to be more left-wing, while the Conservatives are considered to be more right-wing. However, as in the United States, there is a lot of variation within each party.
In addition to the two major parties, there are also several smaller parties in Canada. These include the New Democratic Party (NDP), the Green Party, and the Bloc Québécois (BQ). Unlike in the US, it is very rare for a candidate to win an election without being affiliated with a party.
Canada does not have as much political polarization as the United States does. This means that people who identify with one party do not necessarily strongly disagree with people who identify with another party. This can make political discussion and debate less heated and emotional than it is in the US.
Canada
The major difference between the Canadian and American political systems is that Canada has a constitutional monarchy whereas the United States has a presidential system. The Canadian parliament is based on the Westminster system, which was developed in England. The United States congress, on the other hand, is based on the Virginia Plan, which was developed by James Madison.
The Canadian parliament is bicameral, meaning that it consists of two chambers: the House of Commons and the Senate. The House of Commons is made up of 338 members, each of whom represents a specific geographic area. The Senate is made up of 105 members, each of whom represents a province or territory. Senators are appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister.
The American congress is also bicameral, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 members, each of whom represents a specific geographic area. The Senate is made up of 100 members, each of whom represents a state. Senators are elected by popular vote.
The Canadian political system has several features that make it less divisive than the American system. For one thing, Canada has a unicameral parliament, which means that there is only one chamber (the House of Commons). This makes it easier for the government to get legislation passed since there is only one body that needs to approve it. In addition, Canada uses proportional representation to elect its MPs (Members of Parliament), which means that each party gets seated in proportion to its share of the vote. This system often leads to coalition governments, which can help to prevent extreme polarization between political parties.
