A Rare Canadian Consensus: Views of the U.S. Sour

Negative views of the United States dominate across regions, demographics, and political lines — placing the U.S. closer to non-democratic states than to democratic allies.

Canadians’ impressions of their neighbours south of the border have deteriorated sharply in recent years. Multiple polls conducted by a wide range of professional firms have documented the same downward trend, one that coincides with renewed attacks by U.S. President Donald Trump on Canada’s economy and sovereignty.

A new poll from Research Co. confirms just how widespread this shift has become. Strong pluralities — and in many cases outright majorities — of Canadians now view the United States negatively, regardless of age, gender, or political affiliation. More striking still, Canadians’ views of the U.S. now resemble their perceptions of autocracies and non-democratic states more than those of fellow Western democracies.

Let us begin with the national numbers.

“All things considered, do you have a positive or negative opinion of the United States?”

Nationally, 40% of respondents say they hold a very negative view of the United States — by far the most common response. Another 22% describe their opinion as moderately negative, bringing total negative sentiment to 62%.

By contrast, just 10% of Canadians report a very positive view of the U.S., while another 20% describe their opinion as moderately positive. In total, only 30% express a positive impression, with 8% unsure.

Breaking these results down by demographic group and partisan affiliation illustrates how broadly Canadians’ views of the United States have soured.