Photo courtesy of Simon M. Sichert
As concerns about polarization grow across democracies worldwide, UBC professor Max Cameron (UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs; Department of Political Science) believes Canadians still have an opportunity to choose a different path.
SPPGA spoke with Prof. Cameron about his new book, Divided We Fall, which explores the forces driving political division, the lessons Canada can learn from the United States, and the role citizens can play in strengthening democracy.
What was your inspiration for writing this book?
The seed for this book was planted in a Lind seminar I team-taught (with Kathryn Gretsinger) on uncivil discourse and polarization in the United States. It offered an opportunity to do a deep dive into the challenge of preserving civil society in a polarized context, and I came away from that seminar with the thought we needed a similar analysis for Canada.
As I began writing this book, Donald Trump was elected to a second term and started talking about Canada as a prospective the 51st state. Rather than becoming more polarized, Canadians suddenly became more united. There was a renewed spirit of patriotism as we got our “elbows up” in indignation. That ultimately became the inspiration for the book.
Rather than offering instructions to Canadians, I found myself reflecting on what Canadians were showing the world through the way we came together. It’s a book written by a political scientist as a citizen for fellow citizens. The intention is to help readers answer the question of what we do about polarization and how we avoid taking the path that the United States has taken toward more division and democratic erosion.
“Disagreement is healthy. But it's also important that we disagree in ways that strengthen democracy rather than weaken it.”
In your book you note that while polarization often precedes the breakdown of democracy, it doesn’t necessarily lead to it. Where do you think Canada is headed?
Some degree of polarization is normal and healthy in a pluralistic democracy. We enter politics because we have different visions of the good life, of what we want to do and be as a community. As Governor General Louise Arbour noted, “Extreme polarization is dangerous—but so is extreme consensus. It is through our differences, and our fundamental right to express them, that we will nourish critical thinking, creativity and innovation.”
Disagreement is healthy. But it’s also important that we disagree in ways that strengthen democracy rather than weaken it.
Political science research tells us that the breakdown of democracy is almost invariably preceded by extreme polarization. That’s what some scholars call pernicious polarization, where differences of opinion, values, and identities become so severe that people begin tolerating anti-democratic behaviour.
Avoiding anti-democratic polarization requires us as citizens to perform a difficult balancing act. To disagree constructively, we need compassion, empathy, understanding, patience, judgment, and good listening. At the same time, we need to know how to respond when someone seeks to divide us in order to dominate us. When polarization becomes a tool of domination, we need to call it out and resist it. I think Trump is unwittingly helping us to get good at this balancing act!
“In the face of division and the growing threat of authoritarianism, I want Canadians to reflect on how we can all become better citizens.”
What is the significance of the Elbows Up movement, and how can movements like it help strengthen Canadian democracy?
I’ve been enormously impressed by the way Canadians have rallied around the flag in response to the threats to out sovereignty coming from Trump and his entourage. It has helped Canadians find their voice and think more deeply and carefully about what patriotism means to us.
Many Canadians, myself included, are uncomfortable with patriotism—perhaps because we see the damage caused by excessive patriotism among our southern neighbours. But I think there are healthy forms of patriotism that can balance pride rightly felt with the honesty and integrity needed to confront our shortcomings. If we cannot express genuine affection for our country, we weaken ourselves. If we become uncritical or xenophobic, we create problems that are even worse.
For example, in recent years, Canadians have spent a lot of time confronting difficult truths about colonialism, residential schools, and the harms done to Indigenous peoples. Those conversations are essential, as is the process of reconciliation.
At the same time, we shouldn’t lose sight of Canada’s achievements: our public institutions, democratic traditions, multicultural values, and our constitutional system. One reason we can’t allow our sovereignty to be lost is that we have so much unfinished work to do—work that would not advance if we were the 51st state of the United States.
I hope that recent threats to our sovereignty remind us what it feels like when those with great power seek to dominate those who are more vulnerable. Perhaps that experience can teach us humility and strengthen our commitment to reconciliation.
What do you hope this book stirs in its readers?
In the face of division and the growing threat of authoritarianism, I want Canadians to reflect on how we can all become better citizens. I want to encourage readers to think about how their own story connects to the larger story of the nation, about how we can create narratives that strengthen our cohesion, and how we can use this moment of crisis to strengthen our democracy.
Sovereignty means we decide our own future for ourselves. It means having the capacity, engagement, wisdom, and judgment to decide together what we should do and then pursue it collectively. Many of us, myself included, tend to be conflict-avoidant—we shrink from the negativity and nastiness of politics. But if we all retreat into our private lives, we cease to be a self-governing community. To remain a sovereign nation, we have to stay engaged.
The thrust of the book is to encourage Canadians to take on the responsibilities of citizenship. And despite the challenges we face, I’m optimistic that we can become a more robust and vibrant civic community.
Divided We Fall will be released on September 8, 2026 by James Lorimer & Company Ltd.
Related Events with Max Cameron
Sept 26, 2026 – 7:15pm | Vancouver Institute Lecture with Max Cameron
Oct 27, 2026 – 12:30pm | SPPGA Book launch and moderated discussion with Max Cameron and Kathryn Gretsinger
