Issue #1: Is the Political Culture of Canada Becoming Americanized? Yes: “Canadian Political Culture: the Problem of Americanization” by Paul Nesbitt-Larking

Tutorial by Megan Molloy

· Canadians have seen a purpose in government since the birth of the nation. Political culture in Canada has in the past included a sense of community and appreciation of value of collective efforts and public institutions. However, a belief in individual entitlement, brought on mainly by the newly formed Charter of Rights and Freedoms, has emerged, pushing further aside Canada’s once valued communitarian beliefs and moving our country closer to Americanization.

· The possessive individualism of the American political culture is an increasing problem for Canadians. If Canada’s sense of collective purpose is lost, their communitarianism ways will decrease resulting in Americanization.

· “Politics happens everywhere there are things to be disturbed and rules to be made.” However, many Canadians have become so accustomed to our political values, beliefs, and symbols that they are taken for granted and we are not aware that they actually exist.

· Canada’s political culture is dominated by American economy and technology. Many of Canada’s political institutions have been shaped to reflect those of the Americans, including federalism, the Senate, the Supreme Court, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

· Canada’s principle political leaders have been promoting economic policies of Americanized possessive individualization. (e.g.- 2 tier health care)

· Our country’s political structure has decreased and is now moving towards the “American way”. When questioned about their new proposals, politicians argued that “they have no choice” but to form their new Americanized ideological perspectives.

· “The decline in support for the traditional parties, the growing disrespect for politicians, the growth of support for narrowly defined single-issue political movements and a generalized sense of the atomization of political society all point to a growing Americanization of Canada’s political culture”.

· Patriotism and general love for Canada as a whole seem to be diminishing. Unless Canada comes up with a stronger desire to remain a separate nation from the United States, we may become the first “post nation”; an address with no fixed identity.

· While it is possible to be reserved in one’s patriotism, Canada’s continuous silence in the context of increasing Americanism is deafening.