Beyond the border: Why the 2024 U.S. Election matters to Canadian students
By Reyam Jamaleddine, November 4 2024—
The 2024 US presidential elections take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. The two main candidates are Donald Trump for the Republican party with JD Vance as his vice-presidential running mate and Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination with Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate. The winning candidate will become President of the United States for a four-year term. Trump has already served as president and is running for reelection; conversely, Harris would be the first female president if voted into office.
Top issues for voters this election season include women’s reproductive rights, the state of democracy, immigration reform as well as foreign policy including the Ukraine-Russia war and the Middle East crisis.
Why U.S. politics matter to Canadian students
The outcome of this election will directly impact Canadians through factors such as the economy with the possibility of new tariffs being introduced that will affect the cost of living and Canadian immigration and pressures on the immigration system will be affected depending on the winning party. In addition, Canada’s defense spending will be put under pressure as this election cycle continues.The political and social shifts that will be seen from the outcome of this election will impact Canadian public opinion and discourse.
Whether it is tuition increases, human rights and social issues or global issues, here at the University of Calgary students are emboldened to protest, strike against and be active advocates for implementing change for the issues that matters to them. This election will not only impact Canadians at large but it will directly affect students at the U of C.
In a statement to the Gauntlet, President of the University of Calgary Liberals and political science student Thomas Knight described various Canadian issues that are influenced by this election, such as economic protectionism, which would hinder Canada’s US-dependent economy.
“I know that every student on campus with even a cursory interest in politics has been awaiting the outcome of this intense presidential race with dread and agony. On the night of an American presidential election, it can feel like American voters are marking the fate of the entire world on their ballots. Such has never been truer than for this election cycle. Being right next to the most powerful country in history, so many of the problems that Canadian students care about — affordability, immigration, the Israeli-Hamas conflict — are influenced by actions south of the border,” said Knight, a third-year political science student and president of the University of Calgary Liberals in a statement to the Gauntlet.
Students’ concerns: From reproductive rights to foreign policy
In 2022, Roe v. Wade, a federal law protecting the right to abortion in the United States was overturned, this means that abortion is no longer a constitutional right and states have the power to criminalize abortion. Concerns about how this might impact or wave into Canada is a key issue for Canadians during this election cycle. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade uneasiness about how this will affect our healthcare system at home has been rising.
“American policy decisions like education, healthcare, and immigration do not just stay within the American border, but shape Canada as a whole too. Understanding that for women in politics in particular, U.S. elections have usually been a barometer for progress on issues like reproductive rights and representation. With Kamala Harris being the second woman to run for President but the first woman to become Vice President, it’s important to understand that representation of women in U.S. politics also impacts the representation of women in Western politics as a whole, which includes Canada,” said the Women in Political Science club in a statement to the Gauntlet.
Issues in Canada that are mirrored by the public discourse occurring in the US are also a top priority for students. Conservatives at the federal level have been denounced for reflecting right-wing American politics and the leader of the Conservative party Pierre Polivere has been compared with American Republican nominee Donald Trump. The results of this election will provide new spaces for conversations to take place which will provide momentum for social activism and student movements.
“The election on Nov. 5 holds high importance, as students feel more motivated to bring conversations and calls for action to campus, especially in regards to the current tuition increases and Israeli occupation, which shape Canadian and Alberta politics just as it does in the United States. Overall, whether the election outcome supports or challenges either situation, it will directly affect students and citizens in Canada and Calgary,” the Women in Political Science club statement continued.
A shared fight for representation and change
The current political climate sits in heightened tensions and conflict in the Middle East. The United States is a stakeholder within the conflict and has been significantly involved throughout. Decisions made in these conflicts are executed by leaders in the US which makes this election an international concern. Students at the U of C have protested these conflicts and used their voices to express their frustration and their opposition to the decisions made by those in power.
“The fact that Israel’s attacks on Iran, Lebanon and the Palestinian people are being made possible by the complicit support of both Democrats and Republicans, against the will of the majority of people, tells us that these parties are not interested in democracy or in representing the people that elected them. And, that is why, whatever the outcome of this election is, the workers of the U.S. lose, since neither party is interested in doing what is necessary to rescue the world from the abyss of war and climate change, nor to significantly improve the lives of workers and students,” said Diego Loboguerrero, a second-year psychology major who is also a member of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Calgary in a statement to the Gauntlet.
The ripple effect of the outcome of this election moves beyond politics and into the daily conversations and discourse that occurs among students at the U of C. It will shape what Canadians consider to be national priorities and points of concern. Understanding the impact of what is happening below our border highlights how students move towards implementing change for what matters.
To stay updated and watch the election on Nov. 5 broadcast go here to see the various streaming options.