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This is the Samara Centre for Democracy’s third edition of the Democracy 360, a made-in-Canada report card on the state of Canada’s democracy. Built on the understanding that democracy is about more than casting a ballot every four years, this biennial report card examines the complex relationship between Canadians and their political leadership – especially between elections. Based on 19 indicators and 37 sub-indicators, it measures three areas essential to a healthy democracy: communication, participation, and political leadership.
Amid global uncertainty with the fate of long-standing democracies, our democracy earned a B-, the same as its 2017 grade.
This unchanged letter grade masks some positive trends. Since the Samara Centre began measuring five years ago, Canadians’ satisfaction with the way democracy works in Canada has never been higher. Three-quarters of us are “very” or “fairly” satisfied with the state of affairs (and only 6% report that we’re “not satisfied at all”). Other findings – including that 95% of Canadians find it “very” or “rather” important to live in a democratic country – point to a strong foundation of democratic values.
The letter grade doesn’t reflect these nuances, and it also conceals a darker angle – that Canadians are concerned with where our democracy is headed. Nearly half (46%) describe our democracy as getting weaker (while 23% don’t know and 30% said that it’s getting stronger).
As each area of the Democracy 360 reveals, there is a tremendous opportunity for Canadians – with support and greater effort from elected representatives – to channel their underlying democratic spirit into the workings of a resilient democracy.
A significantly greater number of Canadians are discussing politics and reaching out to their elected representatives. On the other hand, they report that Members of Parliament (MPs) are not contacting them as much as they have in the past.
Canadians haven’t given up on our formal political system. They’re participating slightly more in formal politics, and engaging in activism at rates similar to previous years. Troublingly, rates of broader civic and community engagement have dropped significantly.
Since 2017, there has been little change in the public’s opinion of how well federal MPs and political parties are doing their jobs, although there is growing trust in MPs and in the belief that their work can influence our country’s direction. However, since the first Democracy 360 in 2015, MPs and political parties are viewed much more favourably. In terms of how well our elected representatives reflect society, the House of Commons is not keeping up with the changing Canadian population.
The Samara Centre’s Democracy 360 report cards provide a broad and ongoing assessment of the state of Canada’s democratic culture. Instead of asking Canadians their opinions on current events, policy issues, or political personalities, the public opinion surveys underpinning this research focus on enduring indicators of democratic health and vitality: whether Canadians get involved in political decisions that affect them, whether communication channels between elected leaders and those they represent are open and being used effectively, and whether the electorate believes that MPs and political parties are capable of looking out for their interests.
The information collected in this year’s report suggests enormous potential. All the ingredients for a major democratic moment are present. But if Canadians and their elected representatives miss this chance, the deep-seated concern that Canadians have – that our democracy is getting weaker – could truly materialize.
The Democracy 360 is a made-in-Canada report card on the state of Canada’s democracy, which focuses on the relationship between citizens and political leadership.
The Democracy 360 combines quantifiable indicators, focused on three areas: communication, participation, and political leadership. The Democracy 360 allows Canadians to compare and assess their democracy over time. First published in 2015, the Democracy 360 is published every two years to measure improvement or decline. This is the third edition, published March 26, 2019.
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