Several key indicators of democracy in the United States have fallen to their lowest levels in 50 years, according to International IDEA’s new report, The Global State of Democracy 2026. The report states that the United States “is experiencing a period of marked democratic decline” – a trend that has rapidly accelerated under the second Trump administration.
How has American democracy deteriorated in such a short period? One of the key factors is the United States’s high level of political polarization.
Broadly speaking, polarization is when society is divided, political groups grow distant in their beliefs, and extreme political positions become mainstream. Often, polarization results in two opposing groups who have increasingly positive feelings about their own camp and increasingly negative feelings about the other, like Democrats and Republicans – a phenomenon known as affective polarization.
Polarization is a threat to democracy because it creates an “us versus them” dynamic, where political opponents are seen not just as people with different political views but as illegitimate actors who pose a risk to society. The perceived urgency of defeating one’s political opponents allows opportunistic politicians to erode democratic institutions and cement their own power.
When an electorate is highly polarized, many voters will tolerate – or even celebrate – undemocratic actions if they benefit their political movement or punish their opponents. Polarization creates a vicious cycle that raises the stakes of politics: as one side grows more extreme, the other side feels compelled to take more extreme measures to stop them.
Canadians should not assume that we are immune to these anti-democratic currents, which have also hit Brazil, Hungary, India, and other countries in recent years. To avoid the fate of the United States, we need to address the root causes of polarization and democratic backsliding before it’s too late.
In July 2025, Digital Public Square conducted a survey to better understand polarization in Canada. The results were concerning. When asked how polarized they think Canada is on a scale of 0 to 10, 30 per cent of respondents gave a rating between 8 and 10 and only 4 per cent gave a rating between 0 and 2. More than half (55 per cent) said they think polarization is getting worse, while only 16 per cent felt that it’s getting better.
Perceptions of polarization have important implications for democracy. Those who perceive high levels of polarization are less satisfied with democracy and have lower trust in the national news media, federal government, and Elections Canada while placing higher trust in social media.
We also found that the farther left or right a person places themselves on the political spectrum, the more positively they see their own side and the more negatively they see the other. Likewise, the farther left or right one identifies, the more they see the other side as immoral and extreme in their beliefs while having a stronger view of their own political group as tolerant, open minded and wanting the best for Canada. These trends are most pronounced at the extremes, but they also hold true for those on the centre left and centre right.
Canadian politics has not always been this polarized. A 2023 study by the Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy found that since 1988, Canadians’ views of their own party have steadily grown warmer and their views of opposing parties have worsened – a trend that has only intensified over time.
Some degree of polarization is to be expected in any society, and can even be healthy for democratic debate. There are also many legitimate reasons for Canadians to hold political beliefs that fall outside the centre. The status quo has produced a bleak job market, ballooning cost of living, unattainable housing, and numerous humanitarian crises abroad. It should be no surprise that many Canadians think poorly of those they perceive as standing in the way of solutions.
Our survey results, however, suggest that affective polarization – strong dislike between political groups – is emerging in Canada. This was reflected in the results from last year’s federal election, where the electorate split into two large voting blocs, leading the Liberals and Conservatives to each win more than 40 per cent of the popular vote for the first time since 1930.
Political competition being split between two parties does not necessarily equate to polarization on its own – particularly under the unique circumstances of the 2025 election – but it is not the only indicator. Hardening partisan identities, mainstreaming of violent and illiberal rhetoric, and the growth of extreme movements are other tangible signs of rising polarization.
For example, in July 2025, four Canadian Armed Forces members were arrested for organizing an armed anti-government militia. Across the country, extreme anti-immigrant and white nationalist groups are spreading. If polarization is not addressed, movements like these risk becoming more frequent.
Canada needs to act now before polarization worsens and our democracy suffers.
Voters, political parties, and the media need to hold politicians that feed polarization to account. The government must better regulate social media platforms that are rife with misinformation and extreme content and invest in initiatives that revitalize democratic participation, such as by engaging Canadians who are disillusioned about democracy, raising awareness of the values most Canadians have in common, and providing public education about the threat of polarization.
Most importantly, for depolarization to be sustainable, all levels of government need to deliver results that address the material needs of Canadians: namely jobs, housing, inequality, and action on the environment.
Canadians’ responses to US threats to Canada’s sovereignty have united Canadians across ideological, social, and regional divisions. Beyond “buy Canadian” campaigns and US travel boycotts, the US threats have had the effect of reminding Canadians about what they value about their society. These responses are a reminder of the capacity for Canadians to transcend the binary logic of partisan politics.
The United States’s democratic backsliding shows what can happen when polarization is left to fester and grow. To avoid the same fate, Canadians must reject divisive politics and work together to build a more responsive and inclusive democracy.