51st state of mind
On the path of abundance…
There’s been a lot of noise in Canada lately about how to relate to Americans, whether we should just abstain from their company and stop inviting them into our conversations and convenings anymore. We get it. However, we also think Americans might be some of the most important people for us to talk to right now. Not the ones in the White House, but the ones frustrated with what’s unfolding around them, the ones facing the mess wondering how they got into it and how to get out of it. They are witness to just how costly unchecked political polarization is and they are sitting in what appear to be the ruins of the Western liberal democratic project. These same forces are coming our way, and we’ve got a lot to think about, and a lot to learn.
For this reason, we are inspired by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's Abundance. The book explores the values, habits, and priorities of the political left in America, searching for a stronger nation-building spirit able to counteract the rise of the political right, and particularly the rise of the right amongst young voters. It’s a gutsy, honest, detailed analysis of just how badly the left has recently fared in capturing the hearts and minds of America, in building the nation, and creating a future a majority of people actually see themselves in. Or at least this failing appears to be the prevailing perception even though the impacts of the left have been extraordinary.
"To have the future we want we have to invent and build more of what we need. That's it. That's the thesis."
Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring their thesis as a provocation to our own thinking about the place of culture in Canadian life, in how the social, political, and ideological priorities of Canada’s cultural sector have contributed to its current state, and where to go from here.
Starting Monday, April 14, through to April 28, we will be putting out regular posts exploring what an Abundance mindset might mean for culture in Canada.
Here’s a little warm up for what’s to come:
The 51st state of mind
The "51st state" needs a reframe. Here's one: it isn't about territorial expansion—it's a siren call for the power of majority consensus and the abundance that follows when we embrace it. The number 51 represents more than a simple majority; it symbolizes the threshold where collective decisions gain legitimacy and create pathways to societal advancement.
It can also mean seeing things happen that were not your first choice. And it can leave you with the question: what then can I do to respond?
Consider Universal Healthcare in Canada—a system not universally supported when first proposed, nor even fully embraced today. Yet it stands as one of the world's most valued institutions. This exemplifies how surrendering to the will of the majority rather than clinging to minority positions has consistently delivered our most cherished social infrastructures. The 51% threshold becomes not just a technical requirement but a philosophical cornerstone of democratic progress.
Why, then, do we often resist abundance in favor of scarcity? There's a peculiar comfort in limitation—like that favorite worn shirt we refuse to replace. Abundance, paradoxically, can feel threatening. This inversion of natural fears and desires, warrants examination. Who convinced us that more would hurt us? That limitation would keep us warmer? That scarcity would keep us safer?
Perhaps our greatest obstacle is our reluctance to believe that what we cannot yet see might vastly outshine what we currently possess. Isn't this the fundamental question of faith—not just religious faith, but faith in possibility, in better futures, in collective wisdom? Our cultural hesitancy reflects a deeper crisis of imagination.
In the spirit of potential and possibility here are some concrete Policy Recommendations for Combating Opt-Out Culture and Fostering Abundant Participation to help supercharge Canada.
1. Cultural Wellbeing Index (CWI)
Policy: Establish a Cultural Wellbeing Index—a national, living metric that reflects the vibrancy, access, and equity of cultural participation across Canada. This is a tool for accountability, imagination, and collective care.
Implementation:
Bring together a cross-sectoral assembly of artists, cultural workers, researchers, and community voices to define the values behind the metric.
Conduct quarterly listening and data collection that reflects the diversity of Canada—geographically, culturally, linguistically, and generationally.
Set an evolving national benchmark: increase the Cultural Wellbeing Index by 10% annually through inclusive, responsive policy and practice.
Funding:
Dedicate sustained investment through Canadian Heritage to support the development, testing, and renewal of the Index.
Ensure funding supports both research and the communities contributing to its creation, so that the metric remains a shared and cared-for cultural asset.
2. Canada Culture Pass Program
Policy: Provide every Canadian with an annual cultural participation stipend
Implementation:
Allocate $100 annually to each Canadian citizen and permanent resident
Develop a digital platform and card system for seamless transactions
Partner with cultural organizations across all provinces and territories
Eligibility: Funds usable for live performances, museums, galleries, workshops, cultural festivals, and educational programs
3. Arts and Culture Corps
Policy: Establish a cultural service program for young Canadians
Implementation:
One-year voluntary service program for ages 18-30
Participants work in libraries, schools, senior centers, and community hubs
Upon completion, participants receive education credits applicable to any post-secondary institution
Structure:
80% hands-on community cultural work
20% professional development and cultural literacy training
4. Community Cultural Operational Fund
Policy: Transform underutilized spaces into cultural gathering places in every community
Implementation:
Prioritize communities with limited cultural infrastructure
Favor multi-use, accessible designs that encourage communal activities
Ensure Indigenous-led components in program design and implementation
Funding: Establish matching grants with provincial/territorial governments
5. Participatory Cultural Budgeting
Policy: Implement community-directed funding models for local cultural initiatives
Implementation:
Allocate a percentage of municipal cultural funding for direct citizen decision-making
Create accessible voting mechanisms for projects
Ensure representation from diverse community segments
Structure: Projects receiving 51% community support automatically receive funding
The 51st state of mind isn't about territorial expansion but collective imaginative expansion.
By embracing the abundance that follows majority consensus rather than rejecting it, we might discover that what lies beyond the threshold of 51% is exactly the future we've been seeking all along.
David, Owais, SGS
