LAUSR

The rise of right-wing populism and nationalism has had a profound effect on politics in the advanced industrial world. Canada, flummoxed by its normally reliable neighbor to the south and an American electorate it no longer understands, may have to dramatically rethink its position with respect to the United States both as its major trading partner and closest ally. With a bad faith actor political party in the Republicans, America is increasingly taking on authoritarian tendencies that have already played out in countries such as Hungary and Poland. The recent voting rights suppression movement and a fraudulent campaign to overturn the 2020 election, culminating in the January 6, 2021 insurrection and attack on the Capitol, have created conditions in which anti-democratic measures can potentially overcome weakening democratic institutions. In this article, the upheaval of the Trump years and the dynamics of the 2020 election and its aftermath are put into a Canadian and comparative perspective.