Antipolitics

[Rue]

21 hours ago, bush_cheney2004 said:

 

The U.S. was purposely set up as a constitutional republic with a federal role limited to enumerated powers.   States and individuals retain specific rights and jurisdiction.   Lack of compromise can result from crossing these boundaries, with resulting anti-politic behaviours.   The same battles can be found in Canada for language, regionalism, separatism, religion, etc.    The October Crisis was not about compromise.

This entire thread is an example of what this forum is really about. Intelligent discourse. I commend all.

In regards to the above comment, yes you have very clear limits delineated to the federal sector and state sector in your constitution whereas in Canada we have much more overlap and parallel jurisdictions witht he feds and provs. In fact the only clear delineation in our fed-prov laws is criminal law and interestingly it in my opinion is a lot more effiicient than the diverse difference in criminal laws in the US between states.

That said I would say the very nature of the US structure is checks and balances. Creating 3 equal powers in the Senate, Congress and Prez requiring compromise between at least 2 at any given time. It certainly kept Obama paralyzed 8 years as he could not get over himself.

In Canada once we have a majority government, we really don't have a democracy any more. In our system minority governments are more democratic.

Right now our Prime Minister can pretty much dictate his desires spending like some lunatic. 

Americans created a pseuto King out of their President. combining his real day to day governing powers with ceremonial ones. In Canada we dettach the ceremonial ones and assign them to the Queen via her Governor General in Canada and Lt. Governors at the prov. level. It still doesn't stop Justin as he is convinced he is a Prince, Lord and Saint all in one.

All in all though I find the Canadian system easier to follow. The electoral college is a very strange creation. Can't quite wrap my head around it.

I also wonder, can any President today run anything. It seems there are just so many behind the scenes powers lobbying and bribing and power brokering they've rendered the Presidency a lame duck position. 

[bush_cheney2004]

1 minute ago, Rue said:

That said I would say the very nature of the US structure is checks and balances. Creating 3 equal powers in the Senate, Congress and Prez requiring compromise between at least 2 at any given time. It certainly kept Obama paralyzed 8 years as he could not get over himself.

 

True, but the three U.S. federal branches for checks and balances are the Congress (Senate + House), Supreme Court, and Executive (president).   The founders purposely designed the system of governance to hobble and legislate the least at the federal level.    It is designed to be very difficult.  There are numerous examples of anti-politic actions that reinforced this view.   Resentment for politics in Washington D.C. has long been the norm.

 

Quote

In Canada once we have a majority government, we really don't have a democracy any more. In our system minority governments are more democratic.

Right now our Prime Minister can pretty much dictate his desires spending like some lunatic.

 

Agreed, as a Canadian prime minister with majority government has much more unchecked power.   Bills that were passed by a previous government are easily swept away without any substantive resistance.