There are signs of stress in our democracy. Every election, fewer people vote, and studies show that political engagement of all kinds is decreasing. Through innovative quantitative research, wider public outreach with the Canadian public, media analysis and interviews with political leaders, Samara is working to understand why this is happening and what needs to be improved in our democracy. To inform our research we have partnered with a team of more than 20 academics experts and community groups from across the country.
Our latest study is The Real Outsiders: Politically Disengaged Views on Politics and Democracy, which uncovers new insights into how less-engaged non-voters feel about politics and their role in it.
Executive Summary
Surveys indicate that support for democratic values is widespread among Canadians. But at the same time, participation in all forms of political engagement has declined. Why is this?
While many observers have attributed this decline to apathy, disinterest, and ignorance among the politically disengaged, one group has not been systematically asked for its views on this paradox: politically disengaged Canadians themselves. Between August and October of 2011, Samara set out to do just that. Our researchers spoke to people who self-identified as less interested in politics and who rarely, if ever vote. The goal of this project was to understand people’s perceptions of politics and democracy in the first-ever study of its kind in Canada. We also spoke to an eighth group of politically engaged people to compare responses.
Three specific findings emerged from our discussions:
First, Canadians’ dislike for politics seems closely related to a perceived gap between the ideals of democracy and the reality of how people are represented politically. Democracy is described as an “illusion”—a set of ideals that are not met in practice by the political system.
Second, Canadians who are less engaged in politics overwhelmingly describe themselves as outsiders. They do not feel that they have a voice or an ownership stake in the political system. Rather, they feel that the political system serves others’ interests. In contrast, politically engaged Canadians feel, despite their frustrations with politics, that the system does work for them. They believe in their ability to effect change.
Third, disengagement is, in part, a response to people’s personal interaction with politics and government. People describe becoming outsiders as a result of their experiences with elected representatives or public servants. Whether they are trying to find daycare, get a school bus route extended, or simply have a speed bump installed on their street, people constantly run into obstacles that teach them engagement is futile.
Samara will use the insights from this research to develop an annual, comprehensive report on how well democracy in Canada is performing. Scheduled for an initial release in 2013, this research will examine how well the political system functions between elections, underscored by the belief that with a clearer understanding of where problems lie, effective solutions can be found.
What ideals should we look for in our democracy? Participants told us:
1. Democracy must be responsive. The actions of the political system must be relevant to the Canadian public and people must have the capacity to hold politicians to account.
2. Democracy must be inclusive. The political system must allow different voices to be heard and the Canadian public needs to have the capacity to express their voice.
3. Democracy must be participatory. The political system must provide opportunities for the Canadian public to engage and the public should be interested in taking these opportunities.