AmericasBarometer 2012

The public speaks on democracy and governance in Canada and across the Americas

• How do Canadians feel about democracy in Canada today?

• What tolerance do Canadians have for political dissent (through          demonstrations, etc.)?

• How much confidence does the public have in the justice system?

• How engaged are citizens in their local communities?

• How have such opinions among Canadians changed over the past    few years?

• And how do such opinions compare with those of Americans, Mexicans, and citizens in Central and South American countries?

These are among the central questions addressed in a major survey just completed by the Environics Institute, as the Canadian partner of a 26 country study called the AmericasBarometer. The AmericasBarometer (www.AmericasBarometer.org) is a multi-country public opinion survey on democratic values and behaviours in the Americas, conducted every two years by a consortium of academic and think tank partners in the hemisphere.

In each country, the survey is conducted with a representative sample of voting-age adults, in some cases including oversamples to provide for analysis at the regional level.  Surveys are conducted face-to-face with respondents in their households, except in the USA and Canada where surveys are conducted online using established Internet panels.  Surveys undergo pre-testing, and translation into major languages used in each country.  AmericasBarometer survey data are publicly available, with comprehensive reports produced at the country level.

Op-Ed published in Embassy Magazine

For more information, contact Keith Neuman

Keywords: democracy/governance, confidence in political institutions, political engagement, civic engagement, quality of life, economic/financial circumstances, economic confidence, Americas/western hemisphere, human rights, crime/community safety, politics, federal government/institutions, government role/effectiveness, LGBT community, gender equality, social equity/income inequality, government policy/priorities, life satisfaction, religion