How We See Each Other Part II:

Public Sector

Canadians and Americans Reflect on Politics, Policies and Each Other As President George Bush Visits Canada

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Toronto, ON - With President George W. Bush's first official visit to Canada now halfway completed, the second part of a North-American Ipsos-Reid survey conducted on behalf of CTV and the Globe and Mail was released today examining various values and issues perspectives of both Canadians and Americans.

The survey, fielded from November 19th to 22nd, 2004 was conducted among 1000 residents in each of the United States and Canada.

Feelings of Canadian distinctiveness run high in Canada, with eight in ten Canadians (81%) agreeing with the statement "Canadians are fundamentally different in their values and outlooks than people from the United States". In comparison, just half of Americans surveyed agree with this statement (50%).

This strong Canadian feeling of distinctiveness may, in part, be explained by the divergent views Canadians and Americans hold on some major societal issues.

One such example of these differences is the strength of the role that religion plays within American society compared to Canadian society. In the survey, eight in ten Americans (82%) express agreement with the statement that "my religious faith is very important to me in my day to day life" (60% of Americans say they "very much agree" with this statement), while a substantially lower percentage of Canadians (64%) express agreement with this statement (33% of Canadians say they "very much agree" with this statement).

Further, a much higher percentage of Americans (71%) than Canadians (42%) agree with the statement "I support the use of the death penalty in our justice system".

But while there are some distinctive and divergent views held by Canadians and Americans, when it comes to issues of cross-border security, perspectives are more aligned: Approximately equal proportions in Canada (73%) and the United States (70%) disagree with the statement that "a terrorist attack will likely be launched from Canada in the future into the United States". Further, a majority of both Canadians (73%) and Americans (although to a lesser degree at 58%) agree with the statement "Canada is doing its share to ensure its border is secure and protected from terrorists entering the United States".

The poll also shows that one in ten in both Canada (8%) and in the United States (10%) say that they have given "very serious thought recently" about moving across the border

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/ CTV/Globe and Mail poll conducted from November 19th to November 22nd 2004. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1000 adult Canadians and 1000 adult Americans were interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results for both countries are considered accurate to within 177 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had these entire populations been polled. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age composition reflects that of the actual population of both countries.
Eight In Ten Canadians (81%) Agree That Canadians Are Fundamentally Different Than Americans In Values And Outlook - But Just Half Of Americans (50%) Believe This To Be True... There is a big difference in the perception that Canadians have fundamentally different values than of those south of the 49th Parallel. In Canada, 81% agree that "Canadians are fundamentally different in their values and outlooks than people from the United States" (38% "somewhat", 44% "very much"), while 18% disagree with this statement (12% "somewhat", 5% "very much"), and 1% "don't know" if they agree or disagree. In the United States, half (50%) agree with this statement (34% "somewhat", 16% "very much"), and 45% disagree with this statement (27% "somewhat", 18% "very much"), and 5% "don't know" if they agree or disagree. In Canada, those most likely to agree with the statement are:

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  • Residents of British Columbia (90%), followed by residents of Quebec (83%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (82%), Atlantic Canada (79%) and Ontario (79%), and Alberta (73%).
A Majority Of Americans (60%) "Very Much Agree" That Their Religious Faith Is Very Important To Them In Their Day-To-Day Life, Compared To 33% Of Canadians Who "Very Much Agree"... In both countries respondents were asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement that "my religious faith is very important to me in my day to day life". In Canada, 64% agree with this statement (31% "somewhat", 33% "very much"), compared to 34% who disagree (16% "somewhat", 18% "very much"), and 2% who "don't know". In the United States, 82% agree with this statement (22% "somewhat", 60% "very much"), while only 18% disagree with this statement (9% "somewhat", 8% "very much"). Among Canadians, those most likely to agree with the statement are:
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  • Residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (75%), followed by residents of Alberta (70%), Ontario (66%) and Atlantic Canada (66%), Quebec (62%), and British Columbia (51%); 183
  • Those aged 35 and over (70% vs. 52% among those aged 18-34); 183
  • Women (71% vs. 57% among men); 183
  • Those who live in rural areas (73% vs. 62% of those who live in urban areas); and 183
  • Those with an annual household income of less than $60,000 (68% vs. 58% among those with an annual household income of $60,000 or more).
Ipsos-Reid, for comparative purposes, has updated its tracking on this question in both the United States and Canada since first conducted in 1992 and again in 1997:
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  • In 1992, 61% of Canadians and 83% of Americans agreed with this statement. 183
  • In 1997, 62% of Canadians and 78% of Americans agreed with this statement. 183
  • In 2004, 64% of Canadians and 82% of Americans agreed with this statement.
From this tracking data, it would appear that attitudes on this question in both Canada and the United States have remained static over the past 12 years.
Many More Americans Support The Death Penalty For Justice Than Do Canadians (71% Vs. 42%)... Respondents in both Canada and the United States were asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement that "I support the use of the death penalty in our justice system". In Canada, a minority of four in ten (42%) agree with this statement (19% "somewhat", 22% "very much"), while 56% disagree (17% "somewhat", 40% "very much"), and 2% "don't know" if they agree or disagree. In the United States, a majority of seven in ten (71%) agree with this statement (27% "somewhat", 44% "very much"), while 28% disagree with this statement (12% "somewhat", 16% "very much"), and 1% "don't know" if they agree or disagree. Among Canadians, those most likely to agree with the statement are:
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  • Residents of Atlantic Canada (48%), followed by residents of British Columbia (47%), Ontario (46%), Alberta (43%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (40%), and Quebec (29%).
Those Canadians most likely to disagree with the statement are:
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  • Residents of Quebec (69%), followed by residents of Saskatchewan/Manitoba (57%), Alberta (55%), Ontario (52%), Atlantic Canada (51%), and British Columbia (50%). Tracking since 1987 shows that support for the death penalty in Canada has plummeted from 73% support in 1987, to 69% in 1995, to 52% in 2001, to 42% today.

Approximately Equal Proportions Of Canadians (73%) And Americans (70%) Disagree That A U.S. Terrorist Attack Launched From Canada Likely... Approximately equal proportions in both Canada (73%) and the United States (70%) disagree with the statement that "a terrorist attack will likely be launched from Canada in the future into the United States". In Canada, 73% disagree with the statement that "a terrorist attack will likely be launched from Canada in the future into the United States" (30% "somewhat", 43% "very much"), while 22% agree (17% "somewhat", 5% "very much "), and 5% "don't know". In the United States, 70% disagree with the statement that "a terrorist attack will likely be launched from Canada in the future into the United States" (38% "somewhat", 32% "very much"), while 25% agree (20% "somewhat", 5% "very much"), and 5% "don't know". Those Canadians most likely to disagree with the statement are:
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  • Residents of Quebec (80%) and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (80%), followed by residents of Atlantic Canada (74%), Ontario (70%) and Alberta (70%), and British Columbia (67%). And those Canadians most likely to agree with this statement are: 183
  • Residents of Alberta (26%), followed by residents of Ontario (25%) and British Columbia (25%), Atlantic Canada (23%), Quebec (16%), and Saskatchewan/Manitoba (15%).

And Majority Of Canadians (73%) And Americans (58%) Feel Canada Is Doing Its Share To Ensure Border Security... Residents of both countries were asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement that "Canada is doing its share to ensure its border is secure and protected from terrorists entering the United States". In Canada, 73% agree with this statement (44% "somewhat", 29% "very much"), while 25% of respondents disagree with this statement (14% "somewhat", 11% "very much"), and 2% "don't know" if they agree or disagree. In the United States, 58% agree with this statement (43% "somewhat", 15% "very much"), while 32% of respondents disagree with this statement (20% "somewhat", 12% "very much"), and 10% "don't know" if they agree or disagree. And those Canadians most likely to agree with the statement are:
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  • Residents of Atlantic Canada (89%), followed by residents of Quebec (74%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (73%), Ontario (72%), British Columbia (70%), and Alberta (66%). Among Canadians, those most likely to disagree with the statement are: 183
  • Residents of Alberta (33%), followed by residents of British Columbia (28%), Ontario (26%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (25%), Quebec (24%), and Atlantic Canada (11%).

One In Ten In Both Canada (8%) And United States (10%) Have Given Very Serious Consideration About Moving Across The Border... During the survey, respondents in both countries were asked a mirrored question. In Canada, respondents were asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement that "I have given very, very serious thought recently about moving to and taking up residence in the United States" - to which 8% agreed (5% "somewhat", 3% "very much"), 91% disagreed (10% "somewhat", 82% "very much"), and 1% said they didn't know. In the United States, respondents were asked whether they agree or disagree with the statement that "I have given very, very serious thought recently about moving to and taking up residence in Canada" - to which 10% agreed (6% "somewhat", 3% "very much"), and 90% disagreed (11% "somewhat", 80% "very much"). Those Canadians most likely to disagree with the statement are:
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  • Residents of Quebec (95%), followed by residents of British Columbia (93%), Saskatchewan/Manitoba (92%), Atlantic Canada (91%), Ontario (90%), and Alberta (85%). Please open the attached PDF to view the factum and detailed tables.

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    For more information on this news release, please contact:

    Dr. Darrell Bricker
    President & COO
    Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
    (416) 324-2900 Or John Wright
    Senior Vice President
    Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
    (416) 324-2900
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