Or, the imperial prime ministership: Richard Anderson, formerly known as Publius, on our political and media rot:

…
Thus began two of the great themes of modern Canadian political life, the centralization of power in Ottawa, while in Ottawa power became centralized in the PMO. Cabinet ministers were transformed increasingly into clerks while MPs became ciphers. This was driven ultimately by the increasing size and scope and government, but aided mightily by Trudeau’s own authoritarian instincts. There is a long tradition in French speaking society, as in most Latin cultures, of a strong man heroically leading his people to glory. When they executed their monarch they simply replaced him with generals on horseback (Napoleon) or tank turret (de Gaulle).
Trudeau’s method of government, necessarily expanded upon by his successors of both parties…
…In the United States any backwoods Congressman can raise, usually in the most histrionic fashion possible, awkward questions of the powers that be. A figure like Paul Ryan, an intelligent critique of the Bush-Obama State, simply could not emerge in Canada. North of the 49th he would have been swiftly silenced by the party whips. In America the elected class is more afraid of the electorate than their leadership. I believe the Yankees call this sort of thing democracy.
While far from perfect America’s democratic politics, fitted sometimes uncomfortably with its constitutional republican structure, allows for actual debate and criticism. Not always, but enough to keep new ideas churning into the body politic. Few new ideas are allowed to churn in Canadian politics without having first passed through the brain of a federal party leader, an often arduous and unfruitful process. Our rigid political oligopoly has helped breed our modern political stagnation…