Canadian Democratic Belief Systems and Norms

• In Event: Electoral Democracy in Canada

Abstract

Using a representative sample of 2003 Canadians, we measure Canadian support for a range of democratic principles. Using this we map out Canadian democratic belief systems. We find that beliefs about whether the losing side of an election should respect the election process and accept the outcome, and the acceptability of violence during a political protest most strongly differentiate those supportive and unsupportive of democratic principles. We also measure Canadians' expectations about whether other Canadians support the same democratic principles (democratic norms). We find that those most supportive of democratic principles are less accurate in their knowledge about the beliefs of other Canadians than those less supportive of democratic principles. Those that are most supportive of democratic principles overestimate the amount of support for the same principles amongst other Canadians. Meanwhile, those less supportive of democratic principles are fairly accurate in their estimate of the amount of support amongst other Canadians. The implications of this are troubling. If Canadian support for democratic principles is influenced by norms, then those most supportive of democratic principles may become less supportive if they were to learn the true level of support amongst other Canadians.

Authors

• Mark A. Pickup, Simon Fraser University

• Laura French Bourgeois, Western University

• Eric Groenendyk, Stony Brook University

• Allison Harell, Université du Québec à Montréal

• Erik Kimbrough, Chapman University

• Laura Stephenson, University of Western Ontario