Now that the outcome of the American presidential election is somewhat more predictable, what will follow afterward is decidedly less so. With the Oval Office receding farther away from him, Donald Trump is waging a flailing assault against the electoral system itself. In so doing, he is laying the groundwork for a turbulent decade in American politics that will make rebuilding trust between citizens and their governments almost impossible.How can a nation move ahead while believing that an election had been rigged from the beginning? Despite little to no evidence of such a travesty, tens of millions of Americans believe Trump's charges to be true and are likely to fight against the outcome should Hillary Clinton win. There is little precedent for this and the result will likely be more divisive and dysfunctional than how Republicans flat out rejected Obama's entrance onto the political scene nine years ago. How can a national government lead when so many refuse to accept its legitimate claim to the White House? Troublesome days lie ahead.It is a frequently overlooked historical truth that the health of democracy itself has been secured by its losers. There have been significantly divisive elections in Canada that came close to all-out political war, but when the voters ultimately decided the outcome, the acceptance of this choice by those that lost has been one of the great accomplishments of Canadian democracy. The smooth transfer of power was maintained. Even America, with its permanently split population, has accomplished a similar feat in ways that made it an example of electoral stability to the rest of the world.That's likely not going to be the case in just another two weeks – Donald Trump hopes to ensure it. His recent statement that he will wait to see the outcome to determine if he'll accept the election's winner has poured gasoline on an already flammable situation.It's a fate that worries Bloomberg Politics editor John Heilemann: "After a relatively unifying election that resulted in an Obama victory, then his giving a speech in Grant Park that was magnanimous and big," he notes, "the Republican Party was ready to undermine him from the moment he walked in. Think about how much worse it will be for her (Hillary) now." He was speaking about the belligerence of a political party, but what if that obstruction is now transferred to a huge swath of citizens?In other words, America's great republic is in more danger now than at any time in recent memory. Citizens already have enough legitimate concerns with political dysfunction, believing wholeheartedly that their political system is broken. They view their political leaders, and the parties that sustain them, as not nearly sensitive enough to the average family, but rather as mere water carriers for special interests, especially the moneyed class. Ironically, it appears as though the majority of Republicans and Democrats agree on this point. But for many reasons – the most recent being Donald Trump himself – millions of Republicans will refuse to accept Clinton as the person to right such wrongs. Yet contesting the electoral process itself places America on the cusp of mild anarchy. In a very real and dangerous sense, Election 2016 will be the ultimate test of whether the Republic itself can be saved – not so much by its victors, but by those who lose.This past week, two illuminating responses emerged in the media from prominent Republicans that reminded us of that element of decency and respect for democracy that still runs through many streams of the party. The first was George H. W. Bush's personal hand-written note that he left on his desk for his opponent and successor, Bill Clinton, to peruse on his first day in the Oval Office. In touching tones of sagacity and candour, he wished the new president well and reminded him that the office is always greater than whichever leader occupies it. The second lesson from high-profile Republican, John McCain, came in the form of a statement last week upon hearing of Trump's unwillingness to support the election results:"I didn't like the outcome of the 2008 election. But I had a duty to concede, and I did so without reluctance. A concession isn't just an exercise in graciousness. It is an act of respect for the will of the American people, a respect that is every American leader's first responsibility."McCain lost to Obama by 7 percentage points, but understood the importance of the will of the people, even though it cost him dearly. Trump's actions, however, could effectively turn citizen against citizen.Democracy can only sustain itself if those who didn't get their way remain committed to the will of their peers and prove willing to fight for their principles another day. It is those who lose on Election Day that will determine the integrity of American democracy, not Clinton or her supporters. Trump should know that and act accordingly.Glen Pearson was a career professional firefighter and is a former Member of Parliament from southwestern Ontario.  He and his wife adopted three children from South Sudan and reside in London, Ontario.  He has been the co-director of the London Food Bank for 29 years.  He writes regularly for the London Free Press and also shares his views on a blog entitled “The Parallel Parliament“.   Follow him on twitter @GlenPearson.