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Democracy, Donald Trump and the Canada-US Security Community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 August 2020

Wilfrid Greaves Open the ORCID record for Wilfrid Greaves [Opens in a new window]
Wilfrid Greaves*
Affiliation:
Wilfrid Greaves, Department of Political Science, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd., Victoria, BCV8P5C2
*
*Corresponding author. Email: wgreaves@uvic.ca
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Abstract

This article examines Canada-US relations through their shared membership in a pluralistic security community (PSC). While the bilateral relationship has been turbulent for decades, the Trump presidency has damaged the Canada-US PSC by (1) exacerbating a decades-long trend of weakened shared identity and mutual trust between Canadians and Americans, and (2) undermining the democratic norms and institutions that uphold American domestic stability and Canadians’ expectations of peaceful change. Assessing the combined implications of the decline in shared identity, mutual trust and democratic stability, I argue that the Canada-US PSC cannot endure if the United States does not also consider Canada's national and security interests or if the United States itself poses a threat to those interests. Given current trends, the future absence of war in North America may reflect American domination over a weaker and dependent Canada rather than their continued membership in a bilateral PSC.

Résumé

Résumé

Cet article examine les relations canado-américaines à travers leur appartenance à une communauté pluraliste de la securité (CPS). Alors que les relations bilatérales ont été mouvementées pendant des décennies, la présidence Trump a porté préjudice à la CPS Canada-États-Unis 1) en exacerbant une tendance à l'affaiblissement de l'identité commune et de la confiance mutuelle entre Canadiens et Américains qui dure depuis des décennies, et 2) en sapant les normes et institutions démocratiques qui soutiennent la stabilité intérieure américaine et les attentes des Canadiens en matière de changement pacifique. En évaluant les implications combinées du déclin de l'identité partagée, de la confiance mutuelle et de la stabilité démocratique, je soutiens que la CPS canado-américaine ne peut pas durer si les États-Unis ne tiennent pas compte également de la sécurité nationale et de la sécurité du Canada ou si les États-Unis eux-mêmes constituent une menace pour ces intérêts. Compte tenu des tendances actuelles, l'absence future de guerre en Amérique du Nord pourrait refléter la domination américaine sur un Canada plus faible et plus dépendant plutôt que le maintien de leur appartenance à une CPS bilatérale.

Keywords

CanadademocracyNorth Americasecurity communityUnited StatesCanadadémocratieAmérique du Nordcommunauté de la sécuritéÉtats-Unis
Type
Research Article/Étude originale
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 53 , Issue 4 , December 2020 , pp. 800 - 820
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 2020

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