In the U.S., on the other hand, political power is less separated because the President is both the head of state and the head of government.
Both the U.S. and Canada utilize a first-past-the-post voting system, meaning the candidate who receives the most votes on a ballot even if it is less than 50% gets elected. While Americans vote for their congressional representatives by district or state, Canadians vote for their members of Parliament (MPs) by riding which is the name for electoral district in Canada. In the U.S., American citizens vote for their house representatives every two years, the president every 4 four years, and their senators every six years. In Canada, citizens vote for their MPs at least once every five years. The Prime Minister is elected not by citizens but rather by MPs. During intense gridlock where no party can agree on a decision, the Prime Minister can request the Governor General to dissolve parliament, pushing Canadians to re-elect their MPs at the polls in what is called a snap election. Furthermore, Canadians often vote more than once every five years.
Another key difference between Canada and the U.S. is the number of political parties within each country. In the U.S., there is a rigid two-party system made up of Democrats and Republicans. In Canada, there are five influential political parties: the Liberal Party, the Conservative party, the New Democratic Party, Bloc Quebecois, and the Green party. Considering the number of competitors, it is challenging for any one Canadian party to hold a majority within parliament. Typically, multiple parties will band together and create a majority coalition. Policy produced by a coalition of parties is more likely to benefit a higher number of citizens.
