Canadian VS American Election Campaigns Essay Sample

Most Americans would be surprised to hear about the relatively small scale of Canadian federal election campaigns. In America, the thought of political campaigns brings to mind news stories about candidates speaking in different cities every day for months at a time, primary election debates beginning over a year before the general election comes to a close, and the billions of dollars poured into these bids for political power. This lengthy process is a sharp contrast to Canada’s campaigns, which typically last only 5–10 weeks and cost about a thirtieth of the amount spent on those of their southern neighbor. 

The election campaign recently called by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will last 36 days, which is the shortest allowed by law. This notion would seem extremely unfamiliar to Americans. We are accustomed to politicians announcing their candidacy over 500 days before the general election, followed by a long process of debates, speeches, and advertisement. Even the longest Canadian campaign period lasted only 78 days. Canada condenses all of the events needed for a campaign into a few weeks, holding only two debates between party leaders. An election this brief seems unimaginable to Americans who go through the many-months-long process of our campaigns.

The financial cost of Canadian elections is another reflection of their lesser scale. In America, politicians spent a record 14 billion dollars on 2020 election campaigns. Projections for spending in Canada's current election forecast a new record as well but at a more modest 480 million USD. This figure puts Canada’s campaign spending at only 3.5% of the United States’. Interestingly, Canada’s campaigns are mostly funded by taxes and government fines. This method is a stark contrast to America’s campaigns funded mostly by private contributions. When there is so much focus on campaign funding and spending in US elections, it is shocking to hear that so little is spent on campaigns to the north.