Blog by Emerson Howitt
Donald Trump’s chaotic leadership has already sent shockwaves through the global economy. His reckless tariff threats nearly sparked a financial crisis, and while a 30-day delay has offered a brief reprieve, this is just the beginning of four turbulent years under an unpredictable U.S. administration.
But beyond Trump himself, there’s a deeper issue that allowed his rise to power—an issue that should serve as a warning to Canada: the flaws of first-past-the-post elections.
A System That Breeds Division
The United States’ winner-take-all system has locked the country into a hyper-partisan two-party structure. Dissent is punished, and policies swing wildly depending on which party controls the White House. The last U.S. election was decided by a razor-thin 1.5% margin—yet that was enough to hand absolute power to someone willing to risk economic collapse.
Third parties are shut out of the conversation, dismissed as wasted votes rather than legitimate alternatives. This leaves voters with a choice between just two parties. If neither represents them, they often stay home—one reason U.S. voter turnout remains dismally low. Even elected officials recognize the problem; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has stated that in any other country, she and Joe Biden wouldn’t even belong to the same party. But under first-past-the-post, they have no choice but to share a political home, reinforcing divisions and limiting real choice.
Canada’s Democracy Faces the Same Risks
Many Canadians assume our system is immune to the dysfunction we see in the U.S. It’s not. Canada uses the same first-past-the-post structure, and we’re seeing similar problems emerge.
Our system regularly hands majority governments to parties that win just 40%—or even less—of the vote. This encourages strategic voting, where elections become more about stopping a party than supporting a vision. Worse, if an extremist takes over a major party, they can seize total control with far less than half of the electorate’s support.
And what’s stopping them from enacting a radical agenda once in power? In recent years, we’ve already seen leaders talk of stacking courts with partisan appointees and exploiting the lack of accountability built into our system.
Some argue that unpopular governments can simply be voted out. But when 60% of the electorate can oppose a party and still see it win a majority, a government has to become overwhelmingly unpopular just to lose. And when a new party wins a majority with just 40% of the vote, the cycle repeats itself, ensuring instability rather than genuine democratic reform.
The Answer: Proportional Representation
The solution isn’t simply electing a different party—it’s fixing the system itself. Canada needs proportional representation, where every vote truly counts and cooperative governments become the norm. Instead of one party steamrolling policies through with unchecked power, parties would be forced to work together, leading to more balanced and representative decision-making.
The United States has shown us what happens when an outdated electoral system fuels division, disenfranchisement, and instability. Canada still has a choice—will we learn from our neighbour’s mistakes, or will we continue down the same path?
Originally from New Zealand, Emerson never thought much about electoral systems. It wasn’t until he moved to Toronto that he noticed the stark differences in Canadian politics compared to his home country. He has a background in journalism and communications with a strong interest in urban issues such as transit, housing, and more pedestrian and cycle-friendly cities. Emerson believes the best way to achieve proportional representation is getting more Canadians to connect the dots between first past the post and the problems impacting our country today.