American politics is competitive and Canadians must join in that competition to ensure Canada-U.S. relations move forward with U.S. President Barack Obama, says Christopher Sands, the second Canada-U.S. Law Institute distinguished lecturer.
Sands spoke on The Obama Opportunity for Canada at The University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law on March 23.
Sands says Obama is an attractive figure, but under the U.S. political system can do little without the support of Congress. The gradual erosion of ties that bind Canada and the U.S. since 9/11 and, more recently, since the onset of a deep, worldwide recession, mean Canadians will have to work extra hard to maintain their privileged relationship with the U.S. executive and legislators in the future and must find new ways for the two countries to work together.
Sands suggests regional and sectoral initiatives, such as smart licencing, border preclearance and a greater provincial and state role in Canada-U.S. relations, could be ways this might happen. He also suggests Canada could use its reputation as a helpful fixer in the world to promote issues of mutual concern at a global level, such as on climate change, the war on drugs, and Afghanistan.
Sands has been a Senior Analyst at the Hudson Institute in Washington D.C. since 2006, where he specializes in Canada and U.S.-Canada relations, as well as North American economic integration.
Sands holds a B.A. in political science from Macalester College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Canadian studies and international economics from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
The Canada-United States Law Institute (CUSLI) was founded in 1976 to serve as a forum for exploration and debate about legal aspects of the Canada-United States relationship. It is composed of Western’s Faculty of Law and the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio. The Institute is involved in a wide range of activities, including periodic conferences and seminars, publication of the Canada-United States Law Journal, the Niagara International Moot Court Competition, and the provision of paid summer internships for Canadian and American law students.
In 2006-2007 special funding was secured from Western for the creation of the CUSLI Distinguished Lecture to highlight the work of the Institute and generate fresh thinking about the Canada-U.S. legal relationship. The Inaugural CUSLI Distinguished Lecture was given on October 4, 2007 by Allan Gotlieb, former Canadian Ambassador to the United States (1981-89), who spoke on The Role of Law in Canada U.S. Relations.
The writer is a professor of law at Western.