democracy

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?

Satisfaction with democracy, trust in elections, and the sense that votes are always counted fairly, have all declined steadily and significantly among Conservative Party supporters since the party lost power a decade ago – and in the context of four consecutive election losses.

The study finds that views on whether federal and provincial governments are working well together have not changed that much over the past two decades. However, compared to the early 2000s, Canadians are less likely to blame both governments equally when conflict arises, and more likely to take sides by blaming either the federal government or their provincial government.

Canadians are evenly divided on the relative priority that should be given to protecting the environment versus protecting jobs. The emphasis placed on environmental protection has declined since 2023 across the population.

Canadians are losing trust in the ability of both the federal government and their provincial governments to deal with key issues such as health care, climate change, immigration or the economy.

The AmericasBarometer surveys measure trust in a range of political institutions and actors on a seven-point scale. Here is a summary of the most recent results for Canada, showing the trend since 2010.

This report focuses on the extent of public support for democracy in Canada, and examines whether this support has been weakening over time. The analysis is based on the results of the Canadian portion of the AmericasBarometer surveys, which track opinions on a consistent set of questions about democracy and its alternatives.

Are citizens feeling increasingly ignored by their governments in Canada? The evidence from the Canadian portion of the 2023 AmericasBarometer survey is mostly reassuring.

Political news headlines in 2023 have been dominated by concerns about potential interference by foreign governments in recent Canadian elections, with opposition parties calling for a public inquiry into the matter.

In 2021, almost a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Confederation of Tomorrow Survey of Canadians addressed the issue of public confidence in scientists, government medical advice and political leaders.