Mike Therien

Working on a new long read about the multi-level variance in public opinion and political behaviour. Out next week. Here’s a clip: “At the federal level, a government entering its twelfth year is more popular than at almost any point since its first year in office. At the provincial and municipal levels, governments with much shorter records are facing substantial dissatisfaction. I think the explanation is that Canadians are living through two different political experiences at the same time. Nationally, they are looking for protection from an unpredictable world, particularly the threat posed by Donald Trump and the United States. Provincially and locally, they are judging governments on whether their lives are becoming easier or harder. The federal government is being evaluated primarily as a protector. Provincial and municipal governments are being evaluated as providers.”