American Exceptionalism
One fascinating aspect about political life in the United States is the prevalent notion that the country is somehow sui generis, even though a host of other countries and cultures have similar historical forces acting on them.
It is not always fair to compare Canada and the United States directly, but they share much of their colonial history, as well as a three-thousand mile border. And Canada does prove a useful counterweight to conventional wisdom on many issues. Some of these issues are ubiquitous—it is clear, for example, from Canada's example that single-payer health care can work quite well in an advanced capitalist economy.
And some issues are less so, but still important—it is also clear that the right of prisoners to vote in federal elections has hardly affected the rights of all other Canadians. Yet again, Canada gets it right, or at least more right.
Labels: Canada, prisoners, voting rights
