The reactions to the 1988 Yellowstone wildfires highlight the differences in American and Canadian politics

In 1988, Yellowstone National Park in the Northwest United States experienced the largest wildfires in its more than 100-year history. Shannon K. Orr and Nichole Fifer take a close look at the reactions of policy-makers in the U.S. and Canada to the fires, writing that while Parks Canada adopted a policy of ‘let-burn’, U.S. authorities have taken a far more interventionist line. They argue that these reactions are the products of the two country’s differing political systems. In Canada decision-making is highly centralized, and largely rests with Parks Canada, while in the U.S., the separation of powers often means that public policies are open to multiple avenues of influence, and power often rests with political appointees and federal politicians.