Canadian Public Opinion Trends
Source	Canadian Opinion Research Archive
	http:///www.queensu.ca/cora/trends
Poverty
Support for Redistribution
Do you strongly/somewhat agree/disagree that the government should reduce the gap between the rich and the poor?
Year	Strongly agree	Somewhat agree	Somewhat disagree	Strongly disagree	DK/NA	Valid N	Variable	Survey	Firm
1986	49.6	27	13.5	6.9	2.9	2042	q35a	EFC864	Environics
1990	54.5	27.7	8.5	4.7	4.6	2019	q14	EFC904	Environics
1991	42.1	32.4	13.8	8	3.6	2003	q69a	EFC914	Environics
1994	44.5	30.8	13.5	8.7	2.5	1996	q9a	EFC944	Environics
1998	55.6	26	8.3	5.6	4.5	2000	q7	EFC984	Environics
2006	60.7	25	6.2	5.9	2.2	2021	q11	EFC063	Environics
Guaranteed Annual Income
Would you favour or oppose the government providing a Guaranteed Annual Income for all people who have incomes falling below an established poverty line?
Year	Month	Favour	No Opinion	Oppose	Valid N	Variable	Survey	Firm
1980	June	66	7.9	26.2	1500	r152	DQ2	Environics
1981	March	74.3	4.4	21.3	1500	r152	DQ5	Environics
1982	September	67.2	4.8	28	1500	r152	DQ11	Environics
1984	September	73.4	2.9	23.7	1500	r152	DQ19	Environics
1985	September	77.3	3.5	19.2	1500	r152	DQ23	Environics
1990	September	66.6	5.3	28.1	1500	r152	DQ43	Environics
1991	December	68.4	4.3	27.3	1500	r152	DQ48	Environics
Reducing Poverty
Thinking about Canada over the next decade, do you think that it is very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely or not at all likely that we will be able to: reduce poverty?
Year	Very	Somewhat	Not very	Not al All	DK/NA	Valid N	Variable	Survey	Firm
1990	11.8	27.8	47.4	11.4	1.6	2002	q4e	EFC901	Environics
1992	6.1	26.1	46.9	19.3	1.5	2019	q2e	EFC923	Environics
2000	8.5	33.8	42.8	14.1	0.9	2020	q4e	EFC001	Environics
Thinking about Canada over the next decade, do you think each of the following goals is very important, somewhat important, not very important or not at all important? Reducing poverty.
Year	Very	Somewhat	Not very	Not al All	DK/NA	Valid N	Variable	Survey	Firm
1990	79.9	17.1	1.6	0.7	0.6	2028	q14e	EFC903	Environics
1992	82.9	14.2	1.7	0.4	0.8	2005	q68e	EFC922	Environics
1994	76.4	19.7	2.8	0.6	0.5	2001	q3e	EFC943	Environics
2003	84.8	12.4	1.6	0.7	0.3	2002	q18d	EFC034	Environics
Do you think that the Proportion of Canadian children living in poverty increased, remained the same or decreased over the past 10 years?
Year	Increased	Remained the Same	Been Reduced	Valid N	Variable	Survey	Firm
1999	76.2	15.8	8	1969	q71	EFC994	Environics
2005	71.6	18.6	9.8	1950	q47	EFC051	Environics
Other Poverty, Unemployment, Homelessness
Some people say there will always be people in society who will be hungry and homeless; it may be regrettable, but it's a fact of life. Other people say there is no excuse for hunger and homelessness in a society like ours; we could eliminate poverty if we really wanted to. Which of these views is closer to your own?
Year	There will always be hunger and homelessness	There is no excuse for hunger and homelessness in a society like ours	DK/NA	Valid N	Variable	Survey	Firm
1996	55.6	41.8	2.6	2000	q31	EFC964	Environics
When the government gives money to people through social programs such as welfare and unemployment insurance, whom do you feel benefits most?
Year	Only the people who are actually getting the money	All of us, because these programs make society safer	DK/NA	Valid N	Variable	Survey	Firm
1996	38.6	56.6	4.9	2000	q30	EFC964	Environics
Would you please tell me if you think each of the following is a very, somewhat, not very or not at all important cause of unemployment in Canada? Too generous welfare and unemployment insurance.
Year	Very Important	Somewhat Important	Not Very Important	Not at all Important	DK/NA	Valid N	Variable	Survey	Firm
1985	42.7	27.6	15.6	10.3	3.8	2059	q63n5	EFC855	Environics