Trust in Canada: Its evolution through time, space and age groups

Trust in Canada: Its evolution through time, space and age groups Presented by Isabelle Valois, Département de sociologie, Université de Montréal, at the 2010 Annual Conference of the Canadian Sociological Association, Corcordia University, Montréal, June 3 2010 Research conducted within a research project in collaboration with Claire Durand, John Goyder and Martial Foucault

Why would trust be important for society? It facilitates exchanges (for example ) Politically Political participation and the health of democracy, the willingness to pay taxes Economically lower costs associated with constant control, creates a climate that favors economic exchanges Culturally Higher ethnic diversity is associated with a decrease in social trust and in the willingness to share resources Information Information travels faster, it increases social compliance, and flexibility

Data: multiple sources found on the web Canadian Election Study 1993 1997 2000 2004 2008 Project Canada (mail survey performed every five years from 1975 to 1995) World Value survey 1982 1990 2000 Political Support in Canada 1983 1988 International Social survey : Religion II, 1998

Questions What is it that we would like to How much confidence do you have in the people in charge of a) Your provincial government? b) Your federal government? c)the court system? d) The police? e) The schools? f) The church? g) Labour unions? h) The media? know?

Questions What is it that we would like to How much confidence do you have in the people in charge of a) Your provincial government? b) Your federal government? c)the court system? d) The police? e) The schools? f) The church? g) Labour unions? h) The media? know? How much confidence do you have in...? 1. A great deal of confidence 2. Quite a bit of confidence 3. Some confidence 4. Little or none confidence Transformed in a binary variable -mostly confident -mostly not confident

Questions What is it that we would like to How much confidence do you have in the people in charge of know? a) Your provincial government? b) Your federal government? c)the court system? d) The police? e) The schools? f) The church? g) Labour unions? h) The media? Would you say that most people can be trusted or that you can t be too carefull in dealing with people?

General trends in confidence: Governments 6 5 4 3 2 provincial government federal government 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008

General trends in confidence: civil institutions 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 provincial government federal government courts police schools 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008

General trends in confidence: Religion, unions, medias 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008 provincial government federal government courts police schools Religion Unions Medias

Generalized trust 7 Most of the time people can be trusted 6 5 4 3 2 1 W S 2000 39% 1982 1988 1990 1998 2000 2004 2008 Most of the time people can be trusted

General findings Lowest degree of trust overall Unions (except in 1990 where the federal government decrease below the level of trust in Unions) Highest degree of trust overall Police No overall decline of trust or confidence Except for an apparent decrease of trust in religion

Confidence in provincial government by provinces 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008 Terre Neuve N E I P E N B Québec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta B C

Confidence in federal government by provinces 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008 Terre Neuve N E I P E N B Québec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta B C

Confidence in police by provinces 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008 Terre Neuve N E I P E N B Québec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta B C

Confidence in religion by provinces 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008 Newfoundland N S P E I N B Québec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta B C

Confidence in unions by provinces 6 5 4 3 2 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008 Newfoundland N S P E I N B Québec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta B C

Confidence in media by provinces 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008 Newfoundland N S P E I N B Québec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta B C

Generalized trust by provinces 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 National average (49%) 1982 1988 1990 1998 2000 2004 2008 Newfoundland N S P E I N B Québec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta B C

Lets recap: Trends by provinces Provincial government Federal government Police Religion Unions Media Alberta BC Alberta Québec Québec BC Québec Alberta Québec BC Generalised trust Québec

Confidence in the federal government by age groups 6 5 4 3 2 1 18 à 24 ans 25 à 34 ans 35 à 44 ans 45 à 54 ans 55 à 64 ans 65 ans et plus 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008

Confidence in police by age groups 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008 18 à 24 ans 25 à 34 ans 35 à 44 ans 45 à 54 ans 55 à 64 ans 65 ans et plus

Confidence in religion by age groups 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 18 à 24 ans 25 à 34 ans 35 à 44 ans 45 à 54 ans 55 à 64 ans 65 ans et plus 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008

Confidence in labour unions by age groups 6 5 4 3 2 1 18 à 24 ans 25 à 34 ans 35 à 44 ans 45 à 54 ans 55 à 64 ans 65 ans et plus 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008

Trends of confidence by age groups When confidence by age groups appear to differ, they differ between the youngest and the oldest The youngest trust the unions and tend to trust less other type of institutions The oldest trust the governments, the police, religion, but not unions

Limitations Conclusion Are the labels truly equivalent? Need statistical analysis confirmation What are the questions measuring exactly? No apparent decrease of trust in Canada except for religion. Confidence varies a lot between provinces Confidence varies a lot between the older and younger age groups We should be careful when examining trends that we have enough data.

Any questions? Thank you! isabelle.valois@umontreal.ca

Bibliography Knack & Keefer, (1997), Algan & Cahuc, (2007),COLEMAN, J. S. (1990), KAZEMIPUR, A. (2006), LEVI, M., STOKER, L. (2000), LEVI, M.(1998), HELLIWELL, J. (1996), LUHMANN, N., (1968), PAXTON, P., (2004), PUTNAM, R. (2000,2001), RAHN, W. M. and TRANSUE, J. (1998), ROTHSTEIN, B. & STOLLE, D. (2008), SOROKA, S.et al. 2005., WEBER, L.& CARTER, A.I., (2003) SMITH Tom, (2008)

Confidence in provincial government by age 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 18 à 24 ans 25 à 34 ans 35 à 44 ans 45 à 54 ans 55 à 64 ans 65 ans et plus 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008

Confidence in the media by age groups 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 18 à 24 ans 25 à 34 ans 35 à 44 ans 45 à 54 ans 55 à 64 ans 65 ans et plus 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000

Confidence in schools by age groups 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 18 à 24 ans 25 à 34 ans 35 à 44 ans 45 à 54 ans 55 à 64 ans 65 ans et plus 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008

Confidence in schools by provinces 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008 Terre Neuve N E I P E N B Québec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta B C

Confiance dans le système de justice par province 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2003 Terre Neuve N E I P E N B Québec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta B C

Confidence in institution protecting civil society 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1982 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008 Confidence in the justice system Confidence in the police Confidence in schools

Confiance Misc. 6 5 4 3 2 1 Confiance dans les Églises Confiance dans les syndicats Confiance dans les médias 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2000 2004 2008

Trends British Columbia >Often lowest provincial government, religion, media Alberta >High on confidence in provincial government, low on confidence of federal government Québec >lowest on confidence in police (exc. recently), generally high for confidence in religion, media and unions and lowest on generalised trust Ontario > very close to the national average

Confidence in the justice system by age groups 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 18 à 24 ans 25 à 34 ans 35 à 44 ans 45 à 54 ans 55 à 64 ans 65 ans et plus 1985 1990 1993 1995 1997 2003