The authors present their findings after conducting extensive research on the nature of populism in the recent Canadian federal election, surveying a wide range of public statements from political candidates. These were compiled and assessed to determine whether Canadian democracy was risk of being eroded. Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky’s 2018 book, How Democracies Die, was used to establish benchmarks for what constituted a threat to democratic institutions and processes. Ultimately, there were no instances where Ziblatt and Levitsky’s thresholds were met – a positive but not entirely unconditional sign that Canadian democracy is in good health.

Jon Allen examines the Trump Peace Plan and explains why, if implemented, it would bring neither peace nor stability to the region. In addition to drawing on his experience as former ambassador to Israel, Allen reviews the political context in which the plan was announced, its content and what its implementation could mean for both the region and the international community.

Michael Petrou takes stock of the current state of the global international order, the status of global
populist movements, and the impact populism exerts at the start of a new decade. He goes on to
examine why Canada should care about the weakening of global democracy, and what it can do to
combat rising populist tides.

In response to the mandate letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs directing the establishment of a Canadian Centre for Peace, Order and Good Government (CCPOGG), Sujit Choudhry provides some preliminary ideas on how such a center could operate. This article includes an overview of the current global context and its respective challenges, a look at Canada’s comparative advantages in addressing these challenges, and proposals for the structure of activities while highlighting four thematic areas on which CCPOGG could focus.