A Public Opinion Survey Of Canadians And Americans

Today, 53% of Canadians, unprompted, point to the United States as Canada's closest friend and ally (down from 60% in 2002). But only 14% of Americans, unprompted, cite Canada as their country's closest friend and ally (down from 18% in 2002) - in fact, the majority of Americans (60%) believe the United Kingdom is their closest friend and ally.

Even though most Americans cite the United Kingdom as their closest friend and ally, when prompted a very strong majority (82%) do agree "Canada is a friend and ally of the United States and its policies". Among Canadians, 73% feel that Canada is an ally and friend of the United States. Further, majorities of Americans (85%) and Canadians (60%) agree that they like and admire each other. Sixty-four percent of Americans view Canada as being just like people who live in the United States.

Thinking about the economic-trade relationship between their two countries, four in ten in both Canada (38%) and the United States (41%) say they want closer trade and economic integration between the two countries. But most Canadians (60%) and half of Americans (47%) feel their country is a "loser" from free trade.

When it comes to specific trade issues:

• Seven in ten Americans (69%, up 9 points from November 2004) trust Canadian beef;
• Eight in ten Americans (80%) agree that U.S. citizens should be able to buy as many pharmaceuticals from Canada as they wish; and
• Majorities in both America (78%) and Canada (77%) agree that Canada and the U.S. should have visa requirements for people coming from other countries kept separate and specific to each country.

There is some concern among respondents from both countries towards border-security: Half of Canadians (49%) and Americans (47%) don't think the Canadian government is doing enough to secure the border. And, eight in ten in both Canada (81%) and the U.S. (78%) don't think the border will ever be truly secure from terrorists.

When it comes to international diplomacy, most Canadians (56%) and Americans (68%) agree that Canada is a weak force in world affairs. But opinions diverge when it comes to two major foreign policy issues:

• Seventy-five percent of Americans think Canada should join BMD vs. 44% of Canadians; and
• Half of Americans (52%) think Canada should send military forces to Iraq vs. 18% of Canadians.

But the opinions of Canadians and Americans are mostly well-aligned when it comes to domestic policy issues, including:

• Six in ten in both countries (57% in the United States and 59% in Canada) don't think marijuana possession should always result in criminal record;
• Four in ten in both Canada (41%) and the United States (40%) think the powers of government have gone too far in battle against terrorism; Very strong majorities in both Canada (87%) and the United States (78%) agree that "the government has a responsibility to take care of the poor";
• Nine in ten in both countries (88% in the United states and 93% in Canada) believe government has a responsibility to take care of the elderly; and
• Most Canadians (64%) and Americans (57%) don't want economic growth to take priority over environment.

Looking back to tracking studies conducted in the past, Canadian and American opinions have changed when it comes to a number of attitudinal statements:

• Canadians (84%, up from 75%) and Americans (76%, up from 58%) are more likely than they were in 1997 to agree "that different ethnic and language groups get along well in their country";
• Canadians (44%, down from 50%) are slightly less likely than they were in 1997 to agree that "ethnic groups would be better off if they became more like the majority, while American attitudes have remained essentially consistent from this time" (37%, down from 39%); and
• Americans today (62%, up from 52%) are more likely than they were in 1997 to agree with the statement "if a member of my family had to be hospitalized, I would be worried about how to pay for it".

When it comes to thoughts about migrating, just over one in ten in both Canada (12%) and the United States (13%) say they have given serious thought about relocating across the border.

These are the top-line findings of an Ipsos-Reid Poll conducted for the Canada Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Canada Institute on North American Issues conducted from April 5th to April 7th, 2005. For the telephone survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1000 adult Canadians and 1000 adult Americans were interviewed by telephone. With samples 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 the entire populations of both countries been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian and American population.

The Canada Institute At The Woodrow Wilson International Center For Scholars

The Woodrow Wilson Center established the Canada Institute to explore one of America's most important bilateral relationships. The aim of the Canada Institute is to increase knowledge about Canada in Washington, to focus on current U.S.-Canada issues and common challenges, and to keep an eye on the future, looking ahead to long-term policy issues facing the two countries in a variety of areas.

The Canada Institute brings together top academics, government officials, and corporate leaders to explore key policy issues. The Institute has formed a partnership with the Toronto-based Canada Institute on North American Issues, to among other things, help disseminate its programming and research findings. The Institute sponsors seminars, conferences, and research projects and works regularly with Canadian universities and research institutions. The Institute has set up an annual Fulbright Chair for a distinguished Canadian scholar-in-residence at the Wilson Center.

The Canada Institute on North American Issues (CINAI)

CINAI was established to address critical public policy issues within the North American context. Through a series of lectures, seminars and other dialogue opportunities, CINAI programs highlight current and emerging issues with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico relationship. Please open the attached PDF to view the entire report with graphical displays and detailed tables.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid Public Affairs
(416) 324-2900