Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: The American Experiment at 250 and Canada's pipeline gamble
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of America's 250th anniversary on its political landscape and examines Canada's decision to build a new oil pipeline amidst environmental concerns.
What would America's Founding Fathers make of the state of U.S. politics as the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its independence? The constitutional rules they established to guide the republic and safeguard it against monarchical or dictatorial rule are being tested by President Trump, whose conduct has exposed potential weaknesses in the system. Andrew argues that America's checks and balances ultimately depend on everyone—from all three branches of government, and especially the commander-in-chief—respecting both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution. Twenty-five years from now, will America still be the democratic republic we know today? In the second half of the show, Rudyard and Andrew examine the Canadian government's announcement that it will build a new, government-funded 1,000-kilometre oil pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia. The decision to press ahead despite the environmental concerns that have long plagued similar projects underscores just how politically important this pipeline has become—for both Western Canada and Ottawa. Should Canadians be concerned that it will be built by a federal Crown corporation? And how can the government hope…
People in this episode
Host: Rudyard
Guest: Andrew Coyne
Topics covered
- U.S. politics
- American independence
- checks and balances
- Canadian pipeline
- environmental concerns
- government funding
Keywords
- American Founding Fathers
- democratic republic
- pipeline construction
- environmental impact
- government policy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Munk Foundation, iHeartRadio
Places: United States, Canada, Alberta, British Columbia
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