Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Options in Canada

Abstract

This article examines the role of public opinion in Canada's attempt to lessen its dependence on the United States and seek closer ties with European and Asian countries. Employing national survey data collected over three-year period, the authors argue that widespread public support for new directions in foreign policy has not developed in Canada in spite of the climate of increasing nationalism and the shift in government policy. Attitudes toward the problem of foreign investment, domestic economic issues, trade agreements, and Canadian participation in international peacekeeping forces are also reported. J. Alex Murray is Visiting Professor of International Business, UCLA, and Lawrence LeDuc is Professor of Political Science at the University of Windsor, Windsor, Canada. Both are members of the International Business Studies Research Unit at the University of Windsor. POQ 40 (1976-77) 488-496 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.117 on Fri, 15 Jul 2016 05:41:59 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms PUBLIC OPINION IN CANADA 489 As is more often the case in the making of foreign policy than in most other areas of public policy, public opinion has not played large role either in the development of the third option or in the discussion and commentary which it has received. Indeed, it is generally argued that, in the area of foreign affairs, public opinion tends to follow rather than precede the formulation of policy. While this is undoubtedly true with regard to specific elements of policy, it can often be shown that foreign policy, like other areas of public policy in democratic society, is responsive over time to changes in public mood or climates of opinion.2 Interestingly, Mr. MacEachen referred quite explictly to the climate of public opinion as part of the rationale for the third option in his January 1975 Winnipeg speech when he stated (MacEachen, 1975): This new feeling of being Canadian is reflected sharply in the economic field. The issue is our economic independence. I have already cited figures showing the degree to which we are dependent on the United States in trade and investment. A cross section of various polls taken in 1972 indicated that 88.5% of Canadians thought it important to have more control over our economy and that two out of every three Canadians considered the then level of American investment as high. It is the purpose of this article, therefore, to explore, with the aid of our national public opinion survey data,3 the climate of opinion in Canada with regard to economic nationalism and some specific aspects of the third option in Canadian foreign policy. Our surveys, together with those of CIPO (Gallup) and other organizations, have unmistakably documented the growing climate of nationalism in Canada in recent years, particularly with regard to economic matters. For example, Gallup has found that the percentage of Canadians who feel that there is too much U.S. influence in the Canadian way of life has risen from 29 percent in 1956 to 58 percent in 1974 (CIPO, 1974). More specifically in the area of economic policy, our own surveys have found that the proportion of the population who feel that U.S. investment in Canada is overall a bad thing has increased from 36 percent in 1969 to high of 55 percent in 1973. While this statistic leveled off slightly in our most recent (1975) survey, it remains at high level of 51 percent of the total sample (see Figure 1). The suggestion of linkage between the third option policy and this 2 For general discussion of the role of public opinion in the development of foreign policy, see Rosenau (1961). See also Farrell (1969) and Thorardson (1972) for discussion of particular domestic considerations in Canadian foreign policy. 3 The surveys discussed in this paper are conducted annually by the International Business Studies Research Unit (University of Windsor), and Elliott Research Corporation. The 1975 survey was based on national quota sample of 4,000 respondents, controlled for province, urban-rural location, age, and sex. Earlier surveys were based on similarly constructed samples of 5,000 respondents. The surveys are conducted in the fall of each year. Data for each of the past annual surveys for the period 1969-1975 are held on tape by the International Business Studies Research Unit (University of Windsor). Some reports based on data from these surveys are: Murray and Gerace (1972) and Murray and LeDuc (1975). This content downloaded from 157.55.39.117 on Fri, 15 Jul 2016 05:41:59 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms