Survey Says is a weekly series rounding up the most important polling trends or data points you need to know about, plus a vibe check on a trend that’s driving politics.
Lots of people say they’ll leave the United States if an election doesn’t go their way. The idea is simple: Find a government that matches your values—maybe universal health care—or, at the very least, get a break from the administration you loathe at home.
After President Donald Trump’s 2024 win, those musings turned into action. CNN reported that Americans searching “move Canada” spiked to a 12-month high between Nov. 3 and 9. “How to move to Canada” peaked on Nov. 6, especially in deep-blue states like Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
It’s not just Democrats who fantasize about fleeing. Ahead of last year’s election, The New York Times found Republicans plotting their own exits if Democratic nominee Kamala Harris won. One man, certain of Harris’ victory, said he’d be in Paris by the end of 2024. (Wonder if he unpacked his bags?)
But here’s the bigger question: Does moving abroad actually fix the problems you’re running from? Probably not, according to new data from the Pew Research Center.
Across 25 countries, majorities of adults in 20 say their nation’s political system needs significant change or a complete overhaul. In the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Greece, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Korea, around 8 in 10 adults think so.
But even among those demanding reform, optimism is scarce. In all but a handful of countries, sizable portions of the population are pessimistic about whether reform is even possible.
“Political systems are designed to be complex and messy. Multiple parties express their preferences and then negotiate and attempt to reach a compromise,” Saskia Brechenmacher, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Daily Kos. “That’s the benefit of democracy—but it also creates numerous hurdles for action, making it harder to accomplish anything, particularly if the democracy is not functioning fully.”
She added that in younger democracies, elections alone aren’t enough if governments can’t deliver.
“If that’s not combined with a state that can act, deliver services, build roads, fix the grid, and provide basic goods, it creates a lot of frustration,” Brechenmacher told Daily Kos. “Additionally, democracies around the world are also dealing with corruption scandals, which I believe further erode citizen trust.”
Some countries express more faith in their leadership, according to a related Pew study. Large majorities of adults in Indonesia (80%), Mexico (78%), India (76%), and South Africa (63%) have a favorable view of their nation’s governing party. And in most countries Pew looked at, only about a quarter of adults or fewer hold negative views of both the main governing and main opposition parties. (Greece and Japan are exceptions, with majorities of adults in each expressing “double negative” views).
Meanwhile, Pew found only five countries whose adults say their nation needs only minor tweaks, if any. That’s especially true in the Netherlands and Sweden, where about 7 in 10 say no significant changes are needed. Notably, both have public health insurance or similar protections.
“The Netherlands and Sweden are two countries where there is a great deal of political power sharing,” said James Adams, a political scientist at the University of California, Davis. Coalition governments are common, he said, and that forces parties to cooperate.
“The opposite of those systems are systems like the ones in place in France, Britain, and, to some extent, the United States, which feature these winner-take-all voting systems,” he said. “In those countries, you see a lot more political anger and much more public conflict.”
Indeed, Pew found that many countries hold bleak views of their political parties. “People in many countries see at least one party favorably—but in 15 countries, no party we asked about gets positive ratings from a majority of adults,” the organization wrote. And that includes the U.S., where only 8% of adults view both major parties favorably.
Adams argued that Americans are particularly angry because cultural issues—from LGBTQ+ rights to debates over immigration—dominate political life, leaving little room for compromise.
“With economic issues, it’s easier to meet in the middle. But with cultural questions—whether gay marriage should be legal, whether transgender athletes should compete on teams that match their gender identity—it’s harder to do that,” he said. “That fuels distrust and makes people fired up.”
Across Pew’s survey, dissatisfaction isn’t just about partisanship. In the U.S., 53% of adults say few or none of their elected officials are honest, and 54% believe leaders don’t understand the needs of ordinary people. Similar distrust shows up in several Latin American, African, and many European countries—though Canadians, Swedes, the Dutch, and a couple others are largely more forgiving.
Meanwhile, when it comes to views of political parties, Canada—the go-to escape fantasy for many Democrats—doesn’t look radically different from the U.S. In Canada, 39% have a favorable view of only the governing party, while 33% have a positive view of only the opposition party. But in the U.S., 32% like only the governing party, and 29% like only the opposition.
Threatening to “move to Canada” might feel cathartic after a rough election night, but the data suggests that dissatisfaction with politics isn’t uniquely American—and you might not find the political paradise you’re dreaming of across the northern border.
“Most people don’t know much about the politics of even their own country, let alone other countries,” said Matthew Singer, a political science professor at the University of Connecticut. “Why Canada? It’s close, you can speak English in most of the country, and it’s generally progressive. But Canadians are quite divided politically and geographically.”
Pew also looked at right-wing populist parties in 10 European countries. Most remain unpopular, but the organization finds that support is rising for many. Parties like France’s National Rally, Germany’s AfD, and Spain’s Vox have all seen gains in support recently.
“A lot of those parties are anti-system, about tearing down existing institutions instead of reforming them,” Brechenmacher said. “The fact that those parties are becoming popular tells us something about the level of discontent that people feel with existing structures.”
While it’s tempting to blame “the other party” or fantasize about starting fresh in a new country, dissatisfaction with politics is widespread worldwide. The U.S. stands out for its particularly low trust in elected officials and extreme polarization—but the desire to escape isn’t uniquely American. Pew’s data suggests that leaving may not give you the political reprieve you’re expecting.
Before booking that one-way flight, remember: The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the border.
Any updates?
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A new Washington Post-KFF poll offers one of the most explicit pictures yet of vaccine hesitancy among American parents—and who is driving it. Roughly 1 in 6 parents with kids under age 18 say they’ve skipped or delayed at least one routine childhood vaccine (excluding COVID and flu shots). Nine percent report skipping the MMR or polio vaccines, raising fears of renewed outbreaks of once-controlled diseases. Parents most likely to delay shots are homeschoolers (46%), white and very religious (36%), Republicans (22%), or under 35 (19%). The poll finds that concerns about side effects and doubts about the necessity of vaccines are the main drivers for skipping inoculations, not cost or access. And trust is low—and may be eroded even further with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist, as the nation’s top health official. According to the poll, roughly half of parents say they lack confidence in federal health agencies to ensure vaccine safety.
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New polling finds that Americans are creeped out by the birthday card Trump allegedly sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The card features a silhouette of a woman’s torso drawn over apparent dialogue between the two men. “We have certain things in common, Jeffrey,” Trump reportedly wrote. “Happy Birthday—and may every day be another wonderful secret.” And a new YouGov/Economist poll finds that 61% of Americans say the card’s message is “disturbing,” compared with just 13% who consider it playful. Even among Trump voters, more find it disturbing (35%) than playful (25%), suggesting the card’s contents are crossing a line for people far beyond Trump’s critics.
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Far-right activist Charlie Kirk’s death has put his past words back in the spotlight—especially his claim that “some gun deaths every single year” are worth it “so that we can have the Second Amendment.” Most Americans disagree, though. A YouGov/Economist poll finds that just 30% agreed with Kirk, while 52% reject the idea. Even among Republicans, support isn’t overwhelming: 56% agree with Kirk, while nearly a quarter disagree.
Vibe check
With all the grim news out there, let’s end on a lighter note: What actually makes something a kids-only activity—and when is it fair game for adults to enjoy without guilt or judgment?
A new YouGov poll put this to the test. According to Americans, some things are apparently off-limits for grown-ups: trick-or-treating (57%), playing with dolls (41%), and using bumpers while bowling (35%) are all considered strictly “for kids” (sorry, bad bowlers).
Other activities are more of a gray area. Only 20% of adults say Legos are just for children. (As a Lego adult myself, I was relieved.) Dressing up in costumes is also deemed mostly for kids but still okay for adults to join in.
And then there’s the weirdest result: crying. Seventy percent of Americans say it’s equally fine for adults and kids to cry, but 26% said crying is mainly or entirely for children, which is… bleak.
Alex Samuels
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