Report

The survey results support the conclusion that ongoing concern about the current level of immigration does not in itself imply public opposition to the broader idea of Canada accepting immigrants, or to the changes in the racial and ethnic composition of Canadian society that recent immigration patterns have produced.

Most of the indicators relating to Quebec’s place in Canada are relatively stable. But the survey includes a reminder of the important role that perceptions of the security of the French language plays in Quebec politics.

A majority continues to feel that individual Canadians have a role to play in efforts to bring about reconciliation, while a plurality continues to say governments have not gone far enough to advance reconciliation.

There is no shortage of concern that support for democracy among younger generations is weakening. This report addresses this issue by reviewing results to survey questions grouped under five themes: satisfaction and trust; democracy compared to other forms of government; democratic norms; respect for civil liberties; and political disaffection.

While Albertans have become less likely to express feelings of “Western alienation,” there has been a steady polarization of opinions in the province.

Most Canadians support the federal government’s intention to act quickly to expand the country’s infrastructure, but not in the absence of agreements with its provincial or Indigenous partners.

Are Canadians more egalitarian than Americans? Are they more troubled by the existence of various forms of social inequality – such as those between rich and poor, men and women, white and Black – and more inclined to look to government to address them?

In the current political context, how do Americans and Canadians feel about the powers afforded to their national leader over other branches of government and the media?

Income inequality is patently visible in today’s society. To what extent does the public look to their governments to act to narrow the gap between rich and poor, and how have such expectations changed over the past decade or so?

All four Atlantic provinces have experienced significant political changes in the past year. These developments have taken place against the backdrop of additional major political change at the national and international level.