The Centre for Civic Engagement
View papersOur purpose
The Centre for Civic Engagement conducts research on topics of public interest
including those relating to governance, law, global affairs, economics, trade, technology, the environment, and culture, and publicly disseminate its research findings through seminars, workshops, courses, and conferences.
What we do
CCE seeks to inform and engage Canadians
Through its work the CCE seeks to inform and engage Canadians from all walks of life in a conversation about the country’s public policy priorities and opportunities all focused on creating the pre-conditions for economic growth, international relevance and individual human flourishing. The CCE is explicitly non-partisan and does not accept funding proposals. For more information on the CCE’s work visit the research page on this website.
Our research
Research papers
How to Build an AI Economy that Benefits Both Companies and Canadian Workers
DownloadThis study examines how Canada can harness AI for productivity and wage growth while managing labour-market disruption. It contrasts U.S. growth-first and worker-protection approaches, reviews evidence on task displacement and entry-level risks, and shows Canada’s rising adoption but weak literacy, calling for large-scale training, job redesign, and rapid worker transitions.
02/12/25
Who Makes up Canada’s Conservative Coalition and is it Changing?
DownloadUsing Canadian Election Study data from 1997–2021, Routley finds Canada’s Conservative coalition remains “fusionist,” uniting social traditionalism and economic liberalism—unlike realignments in the U.S. and U.K. The study argues this stability reflects Canada’s stagnation-driven grievances, where deregulation, competition, and cost-of-living politics still command broad, cross-class appeal today, in the nationwide electoral landscape.
02/12/25
The Effect of Immigration on Social Trust
DownloadCanada is a historically high-trust society, where generalized trust underpins prosperity and democratic stability. Reviewing global evidence, the study finds immigration can temporarily depress trust but converge over generations when institutions integrate newcomers well. Today’s unprecedented scale, speed and geographic concentration of immigration threaten that equilibrium, risking declining social trust.
24/11/25
Fixing the Stagnation Nation: A Blueprint for Canadian Economic Renewal
DownloadThis study diagnoses Canada’s structural stagnation: weak productivity, overexposure to U.S. trade shocks, and a housing affordability collapse. It proposes a renewal blueprint—pro-growth tax reform, better-matched immigration, heavier business investment, trade infrastructure upgrades and internal liberalization, and assertive zoning/density reforms—aimed at restoring per-capita prosperity, inclusive competitiveness, and long-term economic resilience
10/11/25