(08/30/10) -

Canadians and Americans Call for Increased Focus on Domestic Issues

Majorities in both countries say there is a need to concentrate on national problems and build up strength and prosperity at home.

Majorities in both countries say there is a need to concentrate on national problems and build up strength and prosperity at home.

A new two-country Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found that Canadians and, to a greater extent, Americans, want their respective governments to reduce their foreign roles and focus on domestic issues instead.

In the online survey of representative national samples of 1,002 Canadian and 1,006 American adults, two thirds of respondents in Canada (66%) say the federal government should stop thinking so much about international affairs and rather concentrate on solving national issues and ensuring prosperity at home.

In the United States, 81 per cent of respondents think their federal government should do the same.

Taking the Neighbour into Account

In Canada, 38 per cent of respondents agree with the notion that the views of the U.S. should be taken into account when drafting foreign policies. A majority of respondents (56%) disagree.

A large proportion of Americans (45%) say Washington should listen to Canada before making decisions in the realm of foreign affairs, but 35 per cent disagree.

Foreign Intervention and Free Trade

Canadians are divided on whether Ottawa should intrude in another country’s internal affairs. Two-in-five respondents (41%) say Canada should never intervene, even as part of a multi-lateral body such as the United Nations (UN) or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Almost half of Canadians (49%) disagree and favour intervention.

Americans are evenly divided on this topic: 44 per cent say the U.S. should never intervene in another nation’s affairs, and the exact same proportion thinks the opposite.

A large majority of respondents both in Canada (76%) and the U.S. (68%) share the view that their countries should not enter free trade agreements with nations that hold dubious human rights records.

Helping Poor Nations

A majority of Canadians (62%) feel that their country has a responsibility to help poorer nations. On this particular topic, Canadians are at odds with Americans—54 per cent of respondents in the U.S. disagree with the notion that, because their country is rich, it must help others.

Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)

CONTACT:

Mario Canseco, Vice President, Communications & Media Relations
+877 730 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com

Methodology: From August 13 to August 14, 2010, Angus Reid Public Opinion conducted an online survey among 1,002 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists, and 1,006 American adults who are Springboard America panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 3.1% in Canada and the U.S. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of the three countries. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.