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Why Canada Needs Decentralization

Canada's federal government has long been plagued with problems and inefficiencies. Nationwide programs are not tailored to local realities and often don't work well on the ground. The federal government is too big and bulky to respond to rapid change. The size of Canada's bureaucracy renders it unresponsive and out of touch.

Most importantly, democracy works best when it is small and local. Large nations like Canada and the US inevitably devolve into plutocracy - rule by the rich and elite. When you live in a nation of 40 million people, your voice is inconsequential and individuals are unable to make a difference in society and government (unless you're rich). Politicians are unable to campaign directly to all their constituents, needing to rely on expensive ad campaigns instead. As a result, the political world revolves around money.

It's only on the local scale that you can make a difference. You can meet your city councillor or even the mayor, but you won't get an appointment with the Prime Minister. On the local scale your vote means more and your voice can be heard.

That is why I support radical decentralization. Federal elections are far too big to be democratic, and almost everything the feds do can be done better by the provinces and municipalities. There are only a handful of matters that need federal jurisdiction, such as national defence, foreign affairs, and interprovincial infrastructure.

My ideal Canada would have a tiny federal government, strong provincial governments, strong municipalities, and complete freedom of movement and trade throughout the country. With decentralization we could have all the advantages of a large country as well as the advantages of local grassroots democratic government.