American elections are a mess.

I think it's very fair to say that any illusions we had as to the efficacy and fairness of American elections has been dispelled by the nonsense of the past several years. Clearly, there is a systemic problem with American democracy that they will have to address if they wish to hold on to whatever reputation they have left. It is very difficult to think of any other democratic system where such unpopular candidates remain viable - no less both of them. However, this is what they've got. It's also what they've got to change.

Mercifully, the Americans do possess an example of how to run elections right: Alberta.

First of all, all American states should switch over to non-partisan electoral commissions. Certainly these are not perfect, but in comparison to many American jurisdictions, the Canadian experience is a beacon of light. The issues with gerrymandering and voting station irregularities need to be addressed if the Americans wish to maintain the notion that their system is legitimate, and most of their issues can be linked directly to partisan interference.

A second area worth examining is the elimination of corporate donations from elections - and putting caps on personal donations, as Alberta is currently considering. Obviously this would require a constitutional amendment to overcome the infamous ruling of the Supreme Court, but this is being worked upon. The results of such a decision are likely to be as startling to Americans as they have been to Albertans. To see a single political party lose 99% of its donations, as has happened to the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta, is a shocking expose of corporate power and influence. Bereft of such funding, it is interesting to ponder what form the Republicans and Democrats would turn into.

A third area of necessity is the abolition of the Electoral College. In spite of his momentum, I believe it is impossible that Donald Trump could win the popular vote; but, I feel a victory through the electoral college, a la George Bush 2000, is becoming increasingly possible. I think most Americans would admit that this system does not make much, or indeed any sense. Nonetheless, one can see the relevancy of the electoral college to the distortion of elections. It is difficult to think how the Republicans could have been viable for the past 25 years without the college. Skewering results through this ancient manipulation has only served to keep the Republicans stuck in a losing mindset. As with example 2, it is interesting to ponder the shape the Republicans would have taken if they had to change for the electorate - rather than manipulate the electorate to themselves.

The Americans will still have some fundamental issues with their democracy, largely stemming from the institutional stranglehold the Democrats and Republicans have over their system. However, with these three reforms, inevitably the American democracy would come to better reflect their own population's wishes, and in turn the more successful democracies to their north.

Thanks for reading.