Canadians express fondness for parliamentary system

Canadians are mostly content with their existing political system, a new Angus Reid Strategies poll has found. In the online survey of a representative national sample of 1,001 Canadian adults, 44 per cent of respondents say they prefer the current parliamentary system, with the prime minister and cabinet exercising power.

Conversely, 12 per cent of Canadians would prefer to have a presidential system, with an executive branch that is separate from the legislature.

One-in-ten Canadians (10%) would rather institute a semi-presidential system, with a president in charge of foreign policy and the prime minister in charge of domestic policy. This idea is more popular in Quebec (15%) than in any other province.

Level of Engagement

Overall, a large majority of respondents feel their vote makes a difference in federal elections (64%), provincial elections (69%) and municipal elections (75%).

Giving Teens the Vote

Support for giving 16-17 year olds the right to vote goes from a low of 27 per cent for federal elections, to a high of 32 per cent for municipal elections.