A recent survey by Abacus Data has highlighted a significant divergence in how Canadians perceive the trajectory of their own nation compared to that of their southern neighbor, the United States.
According to the poll released this past Sunday, an overwhelming 80% of Canadians—four in five—believe the United States is currently on the wrong track. In stark contrast, only 14% of respondents feel that the US is moving in the right direction.
This pessimism toward the US is paired with a more positive outlook at home. The survey indicates that 47% of Canadians believe their own country is headed in the right direction, while 39% feel it is on the wrong track.
The contrast between perceptions of Canada and the United States has widened steadily since Donald Trump returned to the White House and since Mark Carney became the Canadian prime minister, according to the data.
David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data, observed that public opinion today is being shaped less by domestic exhaustion and more by "external anxiety." Coletto noted that while Canadians remain deeply worried about affordability and economic uncertainty, they are increasingly attributing these pressures to external forces, such as instability in the United States, the influence of Trump, and broader global volatility, rather than blaming the federal government directly.
This sentiment is reflected in the approval ratings for the Canadian government. The survey reveals that 59% of Canadians approve of the job the federal government is doing, with just 27% disapproving. This marks the highest approval rating for a federal government in the survey's history, surpassing the previous record of 57% set in August 2016 during the Trudeau administration.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
