By Mohamed Abdi

Canada and the United States of America are different in their forms of governance, political culture and social values. The two countries share a border and are part of the North American countries, located on the North American continent. The English language, is also the most widely spoken language in both countries.

President Trump’s recent threats to annex Canada and make it the 51st state of his country have caused uproar and stirred profound discourse. Since its founding on July 1, 1867, Canada has been a sovereign country with a federal system headed by a prime minister who is accountable to the British monarchy.

Canada and the United States adhere to different forms of governance and federal systems. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, meaning its head of state is the king or the queen of the United Kingdom (UK). The Canadian constitution explains roles and responsibilities reserved for the monarch, and how they are carried out. Appointed by the king or the queen on the serving prime minister’s advice, a Canadian citizen bearing the title “Governor General of Canada” represents (at the federal level) the British Monarchy in the country, while lieutenant governors are the Monarchy’s representatives at the provincial level (Presently, British King Charles is the Head of State of Canada; the king and his wife Queen Camilla arrived in Canada for 2-day visit on May 26, 2025.) Also, Canada adopts a parliamentary democracy with a centralized federal system, which affords the central government more power and limits powers exercised by the country’s provinces and territories. Under the monarch’s auspices, Canada is headed by a prime minister elected by members of parliament of the particular party that scores the highest votes cast by Canadian citizens. Then, that prime minister carries out the day to day affairs of the country and reports to the parliament.

Conversely, the United States is a constitutional democratic republic with a decentralized federal system, where citizens directly elect the country’s president, vice-president and states have more power than the central government. The country’s president and vice-president are accountable to the American people, the Congress and the judiciary.

Canada and the United states. constitutions are different. They differ in their approach to the source of their authority and federalism. Drawing on the British constitution, Canada’s constitution is not a single document; it is a set of written and unwritten laws, treaties, and court decisions. On the other hand, the American Constitution is a single document (with amendments) and is considered to be the world’s longest-surviving written charter of government.

Canada’s and the United States’ political cultures are dissimilar. (Political culture refers to a set of beliefs, attitudes, and values held by a certain society regarding its country’s identity, governance, and politics.)  Canadian political culture emphasizes communitarianism (Having a strong sense of community), social well-being, collective responsibility, and government intervention; this is to say that the Canadian culture prefers community-based values and the common good over individualism and individual rights. While pursuing their personal goals, Canadians and the residents of the country pool their resources to create communal benefits, such as universal healthcare accessible to all residents. The Canadian political culture is based on peace and order; it does not call for agitation or conflict with other countries, and does not permit residents to carry firearms in public; possessing firearms is not part of the Canadian culture.

On the other hand, despite believing in the principles of democracy and liberty, the United States’ political culture adores individualism and domination. It is a political culture that praises individual gains and self-reliance, leaving little room for collective benefits. The United States political culture espouses the American dream whose premise is that America is the land of opportunity where everybody who works hard can attain that dream (this is a capitalist culture at its core.) The American political culture calls for competitive market systems with limited government intervention. Many people love and loathe America at the same time; they love it for the power it wields, and they detest it for being the police of the world. Some scholars argue the country adopts a “culture of war” and justifies violence and fighting to safeguard or achieve its national interests, permitting its residents to carry firearms in public openly.

Although similar in some ways, Canada and the United States have different cultural and social values. Canada’s culture is one with diversity and distinction at the same time. Despite the dominant cultures of Canada (English, French, Aboriginal), the country adopts multiculturalism as an identity while—at the same time, recognizing the distinctiveness of Quebec province, where the French culture and language are the norm. “The idea of Quebec as a “distinct society” refers to the province’s unique cultural and linguistic identity within Canada, particularly its French-speaking majority and its distinct civil law tradition.”  All other particular groups’ cultures are part of the country’s cultural heritage and are allowed to thrive.  “The 2021 census reported over 450 ethnic or cultural origins in Canada.” Apart from being a bit more reserved, Canadians are polite people with a lot of respect for one another. While receiving public services, they wait in line and apologize to each other if they pump to one another; they are criticized for overusing expressions such as “sorry, please, and thank you”.

 In contrast, United States political culture is built on individual freedom and self-reliance. The American political culture highly values personal gains and abhors excessive intervention of federal or state governments’ interventions in social and economic matters. Moreover, individual groups’ cultures are expected to blend in with the mainstream culture to form a single, unified culture. That is a melting pot, which means diverse cultures must blend together. On a social level, Americans are more sociable and direct in their communication than Canadians but less courteous.

Despite being neighbours with longstanding relations, Canada and the United States differ in concrete aspects. They differ in their forms of governance, political culture, and cultural and social values. Can the two countries merge? It is unlikely they do so because they have incompatible forms of governance, federal systems, and political cultures.  

Mohamed Abdi
Email: Mohamedabdi203@gmail.com