What to know
- Only 12 per cent of Canadians surveyed said they were “very hopeful” about the future of democracy, while 71 per cent were little or somewhat hopeful and 17 per cent were not at all hopeful.
- Canadians who were more hopeful about democracy were also more likely to report confidence in parliament and trust in news outlets.
- York University professor Andrew Dawson says some skepticism toward democracy can be healthy, and the findings do not necessarily indicate that Canadians have lost faith in the democratic system.
- Dawson says polarization and distrust in democratic institutions are among the factors that can contribute to lower hopefulness.
- Toronto residents had mixed views on the future of democracy, although most residents interviewed by Now Toronto said they believe their vote matters.
A new Statistics Canada study has revealed that only a small portion of Canadians feel “very hopeful” about democracy, while the majority is somewhat skeptical about the future.
The study, published on Tuesday, used data collected from a survey conducted between 2022 and 2024 that examined people’s hopefulness about democracy and its association with confidence in institutions, trust in information sources, and political participation.
According to StatCan, 71 per cent of respondents said they were little or somewhat hopeful about the future of democracy, while only 12 per cent said they were “very hopeful.” The remaining 17 per cent said they were not at all hopeful.
Those who felt very hopeful about democracy in Canada were also more likely to report confidence in political institutions. Sixty-seven per cent of these respondents said they were highly confident in parliament compared to 38 per cent for those who were little or somewhat hopeful, and 11 per cent of those who were not at all hopeful.
Meanwhile, 59 per cent of the Canadians who said they feel very hopeful about democracy said they trust news outlets compared to 43 per cent for those who were somewhat hopeful, and 17 per cent for those who were not at all hopeful.
Why does hope in democracy matter?
Andrew Dawson, an associate professor in the Department of Global and Social Studies at York University’s Glendon Campus, explains that democracy works through consent and legitimacy instead of coercion.
In this case, people follow laws, pay taxes, and accept election results because they trust that the system is fair, not because they are forced to do so. But when their attitude towards democracy changes, governing might become more difficult.
“Having a study of this nature is also important because we see some global trends, [in which] not all countries, but some countries are experiencing democratic decline, and this is happening in what was previously called consolidated or established liberal democracies… So within this context, looking at democracy is quite important now,” he added.
Although hope in democracy isn’t exactly the same as trust in democracy, and there has been debate on whether they are linked, Dawson explains that previous studies and the StatCan findings reinforce that they are likely linked.
What do the current findings mean?
Although having only 12 per cent of respondents say they are “very hopeful” in democracy might seem concerning in this context, Dawson the results of the survey aren’t necessarily negative.
Given that the study found that the majority of respondents are a little or somewhat hopeful about democracy, Dawson says it may suggest their trust in the system can be regained.
In addition, he explains that being somewhat skeptical about the system is considered somewhat healthy to a democracy.
“Scholars suggest that having some type of skepticism is essentially more healthy than people just blindly accepting something or blindly rejecting something. So, to a certain extent, this story of partial skepticism and not complete despair is not necessarily a bad news story,” he said.
According to Dawson, there has been a period of turbulence for certain liberal democracies globally. While Canada seems to be “relatively in good shape” when it comes to a democratic system, he said the country is not immune to the global factors that have been leading to this.
One of the factors that could be contributing to this, according to the expert, is polarization in relation to several topics beyond political ideologies, from COVID-19 vaccines to education.
“The literature suggests that… parties that actively try to encourage distrust of some institutions of liberal democracies, such as media or certain facets of government… [have] also been thought to contribute to decreasing hopefulness for the future of democracy,” he added.
What do Torontonians think?
Now Toronto asked Toronto residents for their takes on democratic trust.
Most residents said they were not too surprised with the StatCan findings, with many saying they are partially hopeful about the future of democracy in the country.
“I’ve actually seen a lot of friends around us moving outside of the country somewhere else, in the past few years especially. I just feel like it’s not the same as before. I’m hoping that it’s going to get better,” resident Saba G. told Now Toronto.
“I think anything can happen but it’s not looking good,” Kellie M. said.
Another resident, Kaya S. said they feel hopeful about democracy.
“I feel like something radical would have to happen for democracy to actually fail and be overturned,” he said.
Meanwhile, a different resident said he also falls within the group that feels somewhat skeptical for the future.
“I think the definitions of democracy have evolved and changed, so I’m just hopeful for better leadership in Canada,” Jose J. said.
When asked if they believe their vote matters, most residents said yes.
“Every vote matters… If you don’t put a vote, you don’t have any say, you don’t have any power,” Kaya said.
“I think it’s our civil duty to vote. We should be voting,” Saba said.
Meanwhile, Jose said he doesn’t believe voting makes a difference.
“No, because the system has always been made to keep those people in place in power. Voting is an illusion. We here in North America have the illusion of choice,” he said.
