Last year the United States suffered an attempt to subvert a presidential election by a horrifying attack on the US Capitol, but what are the consequences for the US and Canada.
The insurrectionists waved Trump and MAGA banners, Confederate flags and wore attire emblazoned with images supporting QAnon conspiracies. They erected a gallows. They chanted "Hang Vice President Pence." They wounded and killed police officers. Two weeks later, President Biden was inaugurated. So ... What now? Can the Biden administration successfully address these challenges? And, what about us? Is Canada in any better shape? Do we return to more normal relations with the US? And with talk of a coming election, can Canada avoid the political polarization at the root of the American insurrection?
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Dr. Ferguson was raised in Texas, attended Loyola University in Los Angeles and Texas A&M prior to receiving his PhD at UBC. As an undergrad, he was one of the top NCAA-level debaters in America holding a top 20 national ranking for three years while reaching the quarterfinals and semifinals at the National Debate Tournament. He moved to Canada in 1998 and taught at the University of Saskatchewan until relocating to Western University in 2006. Professor Ferguson has received numerous national and international teaching awards. He was the first-ever, two-time winner of the Western Alumni Teaching Excellence Award and was the first person granted the title Teaching Fellow in the history of the Social Science faculty. He published more than a dozen academic articles, has more than 3 dozen academic presentations and a book currently in press. In 2012, Peter founded the Leadership and Democracy Lab at Western, a think tank examining political risks Canadian companies face when operating overseas. To date, the Lab has offered a practical, experiential learning opportunity to more than 700 students, many of whom already hold senior positions in government as well as in a variety of private sector consulting firms. Peter took early retirement from Western last year.
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