Unlike Canada, and other democratic nations, the U.S. does not have an independent, neutral method of administering its elections. Instead, there is a decentralized, partisan process in which the political party controlling each state government makes decisions about the redrawing of riding boundaries (after each Census) and the conduct of the election itself. As a result, gerrymandering has long been rampant in the U.S., with ridings of extremely strange shapes created so as to contain within their boundaries a majority of voters of the party in power at the time.[1] The party in power in each state also often conducts the elections in ways that advantage it. These undemocratic actions can, for example, take the form of voter suppression, especially of minorities and blacks.
The Excessive Influence of Money
Unlike Canada, the U.S. does not have any limits on the election expenditures that can be made in support of a particular political party or policy. Canadian law specifies how much can be spent by a political party and also by individual candidates, with the latter limited to a formula based on the number of electors in their particular riding. I became particularly conscious of this latter restriction while attending the annual Can-Am Appreciation Week in Myrtle Beach a decade or so back. This event was held each March as a way of thanking Canadians for coming down in the winter and keeping things going. A panel discussion that year included three members of the U.S. Congress and three members of the Canadian Parliament. The latter were Peter Milliken, the MP from Kingston and also the Speaker of the House of Commons, another MP from B.C. and – for star power – Senator Frank Mahovlich, a name familiar to all hockey fans. At some point, the members of Congress were discussing how they had spent well over $1 million to get elected and had to engage in fund-raising efforts at least a couple of days each week. At this point, the two MPs from Canada compared notes and determined that in the previous election they had each spent their legal limit which was under $100,000. The members of Congress almost fell out of their chairs.
Canada also imposes limits on the spending activities of so-called third parties, essentially interest groups (representing business, labour, the environment, or other sectors). Such groups must register with Elections Canada once they spend over $500, and they have strict limits on how much they can spend in the pre-election and during an election campaign. By contrast the U.S. has absolutely no limits on such expenditures, thanks largely to court decisions. As a result, we have seen the rise of Super PACs (Political Action Committees) which spend hundreds of millions of dollars promoting their views, most of them advocating deregulation so that private profits can be maximized.
Democracy Trumped
Nathan Hale was a soldier who volunteered to go behind enemy lines for intelligence-gathering during the American Revolution, was arrested for spying, and executed. He is quoted as saying “I regret only that I have but one life to lose for my country.” In contrast, the current President’s view would presumably be “I regret only that I have but one country to lose for my life.” Trump has done everything possible to destroy American democracy. He colluded with the Russians to interfere with the election of 2016. As the 2020 election draws near he has encouraged his supporters to vote twice, has insisted that mail-in ballots are unreliable, has encouraged right-wing para-military organizations to monitor polling stations, has supported efforts by Republican-controlled states to restrict voting rights of those considered unsympathetic to the cause, and has insisted that any result in which he is not the winner must be false.
I recall reading about the courageous behaviour of citizens in nations that finally gained the right to vote, and how they would stand in line even while surrounded by hostile soldiers so that they could exercise this precious right. Unless the integrity of the election process is protected, America may resemble a “shit-hole country,” to use Trump’s terminology. One can only hope that it is not too late to rebuild American democracy when the age of Trump has passed.
[1] Indeed, the term gerrymandering was coined after one of the electoral districts created in Massachusetts in 1812 was seen to resemble a salamander.