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Q: Confederation committed Canadians to “peace, order, and good government” whereas America began with a commitment to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Would you say these commitments are reflective of American and Canadian sentiments today?
A: Americans are pursuing “life, liberty, and happiness” in a climate of increasing stress and fear. Canadians also want life, liberty, and happiness but in the context of peace, order, and good government. Each of us seems to be able to achieve two out of our three founding ideals.
Q: According to your research, 38% of Americans, compared to 25% of Canadians, were willing to take “great risks” in order to achieve material success—the legendary American Dream. Is this mentality, in part, behind recent corporate scandals such as Enron, WorldCom, and Martha Stewart?
A: Yes, I think Americans are more willing than Canadians to take risks, both financial and physical, to achieve their goals. Crime has always been a popular route for the achievement of success in America. Icons such as Al Capone and Bonnie and Clyde are revered for their pluck, although white-collar criminals like Michael Millken do not enjoy cult status.
Q: In the last decade, the level of social and civic engagement in the U.S. plummeted (from 66% to 34%) and petered in Canada (from 52% to 47%). What effect do you think this will have on youth? Do you have any thoughts about what your research might show in another ten years?
A: Youth are very likely to feel ideology and public policy are irrelevant to them. The exceptions are the minority of New Aquarian disciples of Naomi Klein, whose activism is more likely to be focused on global rather than purely national concerns. Voter turnout rates, I predict, will continue to decline as youth focus their lives on the marketplace and cultural expression.
Q: You note throughout your book that your findings are all pre-9/11. What effect has that event and the subsequent U.S.-led wars had on the diverging values of Canadians and Americans?
A: I suspect Americans are much more deferential to institutional authority, particularly that of the president and commander-in-chief, since 9/11. However, Canadians are probably more skeptical of their own and the U.S. leaders than they were before 9/11. 9/11 and its aftermath have revealed the stark contrast in the way the people in the two countries look at the world.
Q: What's up next for you and your research team at Environics?
A: My colleagues wish to help our clients understand social change around the world. I want to write a book about the evolution of social values in the United States that Americans will read. After that ....
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