...with Politics in the US and Canada (Ep. 78)

What on Earth is Going on?

Rampant and increasing polarization of our politics? The turn to populism as a result of economic inequality? The growing, scarcely regulated political power of social media and Big Data? These are some of the forces that are reshaping our politics in North America, with a minority government in Canada and an impending election (and ongoing impeachment inquiry) in the United States.

Ben chats with Queen's University political scientist Jonathan Rose about all this and more.

About the Guest

Jonathan studied at University of Toronto and Queen's where he received his Ph.D. In addition to Queen's he has taught courses at the International Studies Centre (Herstmonceux, UK), Charles University in Prague, Bratislava, Slovakia and Kwansei Gakuin in Osaka, Japan where he was the Visiting Professor of Canadian Studies. In 2008, Jonathan was a Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Political Science and International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

He is the author of Making Pictures in our Heads, Government Advertising in Canada (New York: Praeger Press, 2000). He is also the co-editor of Canada: the State of the Federation, 1998 and is the lead author of First Ministers’ Conference, the Art of Negotiation, a simulation exercise published by Broadview Press and translated into three languages. His most recent book co-written with Patrick Fournier, Henk Van der Kolk and R. Kenneth Carty is When Citizens Decide: Lessons from Citizens' Assemblies on Electoral Reform (Oxford, 2011).

Jonathan's teaching is varied. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Canadian politics, political communication, federalism, the mass media, electoral systems, intergovernmental relations and public policy. In 2010 he received the Frank Knox Certificate of Commendation for Excellence in Teaching. In 2011, Jonathan was the recipient of W.J. Barnes Teaching Excellence Award.

He has provided advice to the Auditor General of Canada on government advertising and sponsorship, and is a member of the Advertising Review Board for the Auditor General of Ontario, a board that enforces legislation regulating government advertising in Ontario. In 2006, he had the privilege of being the Academic Director of the Ontario Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform, the first such body in Ontario and second in the world.

Learn more about Jonathan or follow him on Twitter (@JonathanRose).

Mentioned in this Episode

• POLS 101: "What is Going on? Explaining Donald Trump", a course taught by Jonathan at Queen's University
• UN Speech by climate activist Greta Thunberg (video)
• Teardown, a book by Dave Meslin
• Jody Wilson-Raybould, independent Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville
• Path dependence, a concept in the social sciences
• "Justice Dept. Is Said to Open Criminal Inquiry Into Its Own Russia Investigation", an article in the New York Times
• Episode 45 of this podcast, about marketing and human nature, featuring guest Terry O'Reilly
• Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, a book by Marshall McLuhan (and origin of the quote: "the medium is the message")

The Quote of the Week

"A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding." - Marshall McLuhan (1911-80)