Politics and disengagement: Two-in-five say there’s “no room” for compromise in Canada; most say their interests are ignored

Fewer than half say Canada has a “good system of government”

Scenes of anger, defiance and resentment on the streets of Ottawa this week appear to be symptomatic of a broader sense of disengagement and frustration with the state of Canadian democracy, according to new data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute.

This latest ARI study finds Canadians equally divided over whether the country can be accurately described as having a “good system of government”; 42 per cent do, 45 per cent do not.

And while some may argue that the collaboration required in a minority government is a feature of the nation’s democracy and not a bug, the sense is that partisanship and politics may be preventing the type of cooperation that would produce better results for constituents.

Indeed, 37 per cent of Canadians feel that there is no room for political compromise these days in Canada. This proportion is highest in the more conservative core of the country, in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Beyond those areas of anticipated criticism, however, are significant portions of the country across the political spectrum that do not feel well-represented in Ottawa.

In no region of the country do a majority of residents say that they feel the federal government cares about issues important to them. Quebecers are most bullish on this question, with 41 per cent saying they feel heard by Ottawa. Notably, seven-in-10 past Liberal voters (69 per cent) say that this government cares about issues that matter to them, followed by two-in-five of those who supported the NDP (40 per cent) and Bloc Québécois (39 per cent) in September, and just 11 per cent of past CPC voters.

More Key Findings:

- Fewer than half (47 per cent) of 18- to 34-year-old men say Canada is a country they are proud to live in. For all other demographics, at least two-thirds say so.

- Women over the age of 55 are the only demographic group where at least half (51 per cent) feels like the federal government is attuned to issues they feel are important.

- One-third (34 per cent) of Canadians believe elections are becoming less free and fair, more than the number (23 per cent) who believe instead that aspect of democracy is strengthening.

The full poll can be viewed online at https://angusreid.org/canada-politics-government-division-disengagement/