The Nanos - UB North American Monitor
Canada and the US are neighbors whose futures are inextricably bound together. Among a host of other things, they share the most important, and most extensive, bilateral economic relationship in the world, and since 1988 their economies have been integrated in a free trade zone. While much is often made of the closeness of the ties and the harmonious nature of bilateral relations, recent frictions have underscored that the latter cannot simply be taken for granted. Moreover, it is not clear how closely public perceptions of the relationship mirror the ups and downs of the intergovernmental diplomacy.
Surprisingly, despite the intensity of cross-border connections, little effort has been made to monitor on a systematic and longitudinal basis the relationship as it is perceived by citizens on either side of the 49th parallel. The Nanos-UB North American Monitor seeks to redress this gap by interviewing on an annual basis representative samples of about 1,000 Canadians and a similar number of Americans. We will report each year on responses to a benchmark series of questions, so all those interested can see a running record of the state of the relationship. We hope that this project will add to our understanding of the processes of integration and interdependence as they unfold in the years ahead.