New Polls on Canada Becoming the 51st State
The Angus Reid Institute polled Canadians and Americans on the subject
President Donald Trump has repeatedly made clear his desire to have Canada join America as its 51st state. He has continued to apply economic pressure to America's northern neighbor while stating that the pressure would end if Canada becomes the 51st state.
Ipsos published the results of a poll on the subject on January 16 of this year—nearly two months ago now. The polling at that time found that 80% of Canadians surveyed would never vote to join the United States. The poll highlighted some contingencies that may need to be taken into account. For example, if Canadians were offered full American citizenship as part of the merger, the percentage willing to join increased from 20% to 30%.
Angus Reid Institute also conducted its own poll in January, which it used to compare with the results of its most recent poll. In the January 14 poll, they found that only 10% of Canadians would support becoming the 51st state. The current poll results, published on March 12th showed that this number did not change—only 1 in 10 Canadians supported the idea of becoming the 51st state.
Other demographics remained fairly consistent between the two polls, including stronger support among those aged 18–34, greater support among men, and more support from people with conservative voting intentions. Another interesting finding was that 60% of Americans had no interest in Canada joining the United States. However, the poll also found that more Canadians and Americans have come to believe that President Trump is serious about his threats of annexation.
The Ipsos poll highlights an important aspect of any potential merger: the conditions offered as part of the merger may be a significant factor for many people. While this poll specifically mentioned citizenship, other factors such as healthcare, currency transitions, and similar issues could greatly affect poll results.