The Missing Middle Podcast Paige Saunders: Why the US and Canada are Trapped (and how New Zealand escaped)
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Mar 27, 2026 Paige Saunders, a YouTuber who explains electoral systems and advocates proportional representation. She breaks down how Canada’s voting rules distort policy, why swing ridings and elites entrench power, and why ranked choice can be a trap. She also explores international lessons, the limits of referendums, and why a binding citizens assembly might finally force change.
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How Swing Ridings Distort National Policy
- Canada's first-past-the-post system routinely elects governments that don't reflect the popular vote.
- Paige Saunders explains swing suburban ridings capture political attention, skewing national policy toward those neighborhoods and away from others.
Politicians Abandon Their Own Voters In Safe Seats
- Politicians target swing ridings, effectively abandoning safe-seat voters even within the same party.
- Saunders gives the example of downtown conservatives being ignored because downtown seats are unwinnable for certain parties, shifting policy toward suburbs.
Use Proportional Representation As A Performance Multiplier
- Treat proportional representation as a multiplier, not a miracle: it boosts performance across sectors rather than single-handedly fixing housing.
- Saunders estimates ~15–20% performance gains in areas like healthcare and the economy when systemic distortions are removed.