Donald Trump came into the US presidency with a unique personal style. As a self-described master of the art of the deal, he set forth several principles of successful deal-making, which will be illustrated in the experience of trade negotiations with Canada. As the only US president to be impeached twice (but not convicted) his experience reveals important differences from the parliamentary system and illustrations of the extreme polarization of US politics. The 2020 presidential election with its seemingly massive voting majority was actually far closer than it first appears, and Trump’s continuing dominance of the Republican party coupled with the enduring success of the “big lie” pose a chilling threat to the future of American democracy.
David Leyton-Brown did his undergraduate studies in Economics and Political Science at McGill, and his graduate work in Political Science at Harvard. A specialist in International Relations, he taught initially at Carleton, and for many years at York University, where he is now Professor Emeritus of Politics (which is a polite academic term for retired). Most of his work has been on Canada-United States relations, and he has spent many years interpreting Canada to American audiences, and the United States to Canadians.
