The Nanos Number archive: 2012 to 2013

Each Wednesday, Nik Nanos of Nanos Research digs beneath the numbers with Power & Politics host Evan Solomon to get to the political, economic and social forces that shape our lives.

Recognized as one of Canada's top research experts, Nik Nanos provides numbers-driven counsel to senior executives and major organizations. He leads the analyst team at Nanos, is a fellow of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, a research associate professor with SUNY (Buffalo) and a 2013 public policy scholar with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington DC.

Tune in for the Nanos Number, Wednesdays on Power & Politics with Evan Solomon, 5 to 7 p.m. ET on CBC News Network.

View episodes from 2012-2013 below:

Dec. 30: Canadians' perception of government plunges

The Nanos Number: 55, the percentage of Canadians who say the country is moving in the wrong direction, a big change from just 28 per cent a year ago. Read more and watch the episode

Dec. 11: Conservatives losing brand lustre in Prairies

The Nanos Number: 54, the Nanos Party Power Index score for the Conservatives in the Prairies, down 12 points since Parliament came back. Read more and watch the episode

Dec. 4: NDP pull ahead of Conservatives

The Nanos Number: 51, the score for the New Democrats in the latest Nanos Party Power Index, the first time the party has been ahead of the Conservatives on the strength of Tom Mulcair's performance in the House. Read more and watch the episode

Nov. 27: Federal byelections, the Senate and the economy

The Nanos Number: 61, the consumer "confidence index" number, the highest in two years and one bright sign for Stephen Harper amid the byelections outcome and the Senate scandal. Watch the episode

Nov. 20: The Senate scandal and the party leaders

The continuing Senate expenses scandal isn't just affecting the brand of the prime minister. Plus: the latest Party Power Index.Watch the episode

Nov. 13: The qualities of a good leader

The Nanos Number: 50, the percentage of Canadians who feel that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has the qualities of a good leader, down 7 points over just a few weeks. Watch the episode

Nov. 6: Vast majority want changes to the Senate

The Nanos Number: 88. That's the percentage of Canadians surveyed who want the Senate abolished or reformed. Read more and watch the episode

Oct. 30: Tory support stalls in wake of Senate scandal

The Nanos Number: 53, the Conservative score on the latest Nanos Party Power Index, second to the Liberals' score of 59. Read more and watch the episode

Oct. 23: Liberal support at highest levels since 2009

The Nanos Number: 37, percentage of support for the Liberal Party, highest since the summer of 2009. Read more and watch the episode

Oct. 9: N.S. Liberals' win could be good news for Trudeau

The Nanos Number: 46, the percentage of support NovaScotiaLiberals won in Tuesday's provincial election. Read more and watch the latest episode

Oct. 2: Canadians more optimistic about economy

The Nanos Number: 17, the percentage of Canadians who believe the economy will get worse in the next 6 months - down 22 percentage points from two years ago. Read more and watch the episode

Sept. 27: NDP, Liberals lose potential supporters

The Nanos Number: 15, the percentage-point drop in potential supporters for the NDP since June. The Liberals also had fewer people willing to consider voting for their party. Read more and watch the episode

Sept. 20: Leadership qualities

The Nanos Number: 21, the percentage of Canadians surveyed who say being partisan is important to being the ideal political leader. Read the story and view the episode

Sept. 12: Fewer Canadians want closer security with U.S.

The Nanos Number: 45, the percentage of Canadians who say Canada and the U.S. should move towards closer cooperation in terms of national security. Read more and watch the episode

Sept. 5: Economy top priority, as Liberal lead widens

The Nanos Number: 35, the percentage of Canadians who believe the economy is the most important national issue. And while the Senate scandalissue is cooling, but it was still hot enough to strengthen the Liberal lead.Read more and watch the episode

June 20: Most want Senate changed or abolished

The Nanos Number: 6 - yes, just 6 per cent of Canadians want the Senate left as it is now, while the rest want it reformed or abolished.Read more and watch the episode

June 18: Harper's handling of the Senate scandal

The Nanos Number: 62, the percentage of Canadians who are dissatisfied with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Senate expense scandal explanations.Read more and watch the episode

June 12: Security trumps phone privacy?

The Nanos Number: 56, the percentage of Americans who say it is acceptableor the U.S. to monitor phone calls and use meta data to fight terrorism.Watch the episode

June 5: Shaking support

The Nanos Number: 47, the percentage of the popular vote Toronto Mayor Rob Ford won in the last mayoral election. Can hemaintain that base of support in the face of scandal?Read more and watch the episode

May 29: Dirty politics on the way?

The Nanos Number: 6, the percentage growth in bilingualism outside of Quebec over the past decade, down from 30 per cent growth 40 years ago. How will this fact play out with a redistribution of Commons seats?Read more and watch the episode

May 22: Few see positives in current political climate

The Nanos Number: 13. That's the percentage of Canadians who say the current political environment results in positive policy outcomes.Read more and watch the episode

May 15: Why pundits and pollsters got it wrong in B.C.

The Nanos Number: 44, the percentage of the popular vote won by B.C. Liberals in the province's election, significantly better than predicted by polls leading up to voting day.Read more and watch the full episode

May 8: The political impact of the census numbers

The Nanos Number: 21, the percentage of Canadians who are foreign-born and a number Canada's political parties are watching closely.Read more and watch the episode

May 1: Cyberattacks, homegrown terror worry Canadians

The Nanos Number: 39, which is the equal percentages of Canadians who feel cyberattacks and homegrown terrorists are a threat to Canada.Read more and watch the episode

April 24: Environmental and energy policy

The Nanos Number: 86, the percentage of Americans who say having common environmental standards with Canada is important or somewhat important.Read more and watch the episode

April 18: Canadians losing faith in the economy

The Nanos Number: 18, thepercentage of Canadians that think the economy will get stronger over the next year.Read more and watch the full episode

April 10: Trudeau's support comes at a cost to Mulcair

The Nanos Number: 23, the percentage of Canadians who think that Justin Trudeau holds the same values as they do.Read more and watch the full episode.

April 3: Majority in U.S. support Keystone XLpipeline

The Nanos Number: 66. That's the percentage of Americans that favour building the Keystone XL pipeline.Read more and watch the full episode

March 27: Backbench trouble for Harper

The Nanos Number: 30. That's the level of support for re-opening the debate on abortion, and it may represent trouble for Stephen Harper as he deals with pushback frompro-life backbenchers.Read more and watch the full episode.

March 20: Harper losing ground on competency rating

The Nanos Number: 32. That's the percentage of Canadians surveyed in February who rated Prime Minister Stephen Harper the most competent party leaderdown six points from January.Read more and watch the episode

March 14: More Canadians see the economy getting weaker

The Nanos Number: 27, the percentage of Canadians who think the economy is getting weakera five-point increase in February over January.Read more and watch the full episode

March 6: Conservatives losing support

The Nanos Number: 32, the percentage national support for the Conservatives according to the latest Nanos tracking pollthe party'slowest level in the tracking poll since August, 2009.Read more and watch the episode

Feb. 27: Canadian firms see drop in net profits

The Nanos Number: 29. That's the percentage drop in net profits for Canadian companies over the past year, according to Statistics Canada. Should Canadians be worried?Read more and watch the episode

Feb. 20: Canadians prefer to celebrate Charter over War of 1812

The Nanos Number: 15, the percentage of Canadians who felt more patriotic as a result of the celebrations of the War of 1812 anniversary.Read more and watch the episode

Feb. 13: What Obama did not say in the State of the Union

The Nanos Number: 16 trillion. The staggering size of the U.S. public debt was one figure U.S. President Barack Obama didn't mention during his annual address, and it's one that overrides everything he wants to do.Read more and watch the episode

Feb. 6: Confidence in the economy

The Nanos Number: 27. That's the percentage of Canadians who feel the economy is getting stronger a low number that lags behindAmericans' views.Watch the full episode

Jan. 30: The cost of youth unemployment

The Nanos Number: 14, the unemployment rate among young people. That's twice the national average and a conundrum for political parties.Read more and watch the episode

Jan. 23: Quebecand the federal Liberal race

The Nanos Number: 46. That's the percentage of committed NDP supporters in Quebec who would consider voting for the Liberals.Read more and watch the episode

Jan. 16: Pipelines seen as safest

The Nanos Number: 54, the percentage of Canadians who believe pipelines are the safest way to transport crude oil.Read more and watch the episode

Jan. 3: Uncertainty grows among Canadians

The Nanos Number: 16. That's the percentage point dropover one year in the number of Canadians who say the country is moving in the right direction.Read more and watch the episode

Dec. 19: Americans favour gun registration

The Nanos Number: 76, the number of Americans Americans who favour requiring gun owners to register their guns with local government.Read more and watch the episode

Dec. 12: Canadians' financial confidence falling

The Nanos Number: 37. That's the number of Canadians who feel they are worse off financially compared to a year agoa big jump from similar sentiment after the last federal election.Watch the episode and read more

Nov. 28: Changing population, changing politics

The Nanos Number: 25, the percentage point drop since 1961 of families with a married couple. That shift and other demographic changesmean political parties must change their message or risk losing votes.Read more and watch the episode

Nov. 21: Harper seen as most competent

The Nanos Number: 17, the percentage point gain by Stephen Harper since April, when it comes to who Canadians would describe as the most competent leader.Read more and watch the episode.

Nov. 14: Public service a 'political punching bag'?

The Nanos Number: 9. That's the percentage of Canadians who believe tension between the civil service and the Harper government creates good public policy.View the episode and read more.

Nov. 7: Canada and Obama's path to victory

The Nanos Number: 9. That was U.S. President Barack Obama's percentage point margin of victory Tuesday in the popular vote in 15 U.S. states bordering Canada. What does that mean for U.S.-Canada relations?Watch the episode and read more

Oct. 31: Hurricane Sandy's political impact

The Nanos Number: 47. That's the even split in popular support for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Will the disruption of Hurricane Sandy be a late game changer?Watch the episode and read more.

Oct. 24: Canadians consider China biggest threat

The Nanos Number: 21. China is seen as presenting the greatest threat to national security by one-fifth of Canadiansmore than Iran, Afghanistan or Russia.Watch the episode and read more.

Oct. 17: Battle for the middle class

The Nanos Number: 51. The percentage of Canadians who say they'd be in some difficulty if they missed a paycheque.Read more and watch the episode here.

Oct. 10: Doing business with China

The Nanos Number: 26. The percentage of Canadians want Chinese goods inspected above those of other countries.Read more and watch the episode.

Oct. 3: Support for free trade wavers

The Nanos Number: 14. That's the percentage of Canadians who feel a free trade agreement with the EU will have a positive impact.Read more and watch the episode.

Sept. 26: Energy for us or for export?

The Nanos Number: 63. That's the percentage of Canadians who prefer a continental energy strategy over an export strategy. Read more and watch the episode.

Sept. 19: Carbon tax attacks and the economy

The Nanos Number: 6. That's the percentage point jump from July to September in Canadians listing the economy as the top national issue of concern. So why is the government focussing on non-existent carbon taxes?Read more and watch the episode

Sept. 12: Canada-U.S. security cooperation

The Nanos Number: 66. Two-thirds of Americans surveyed - and more than half of Canadians - support greater cooperation between the U.S. and Canada on matters of national security.Read more and watch the episode.

Sept. 5: The PQ's slim victory

The Nanos Number: 32. That's the percentage of popular vote won by the Parti Qubcois in Quebec's electionjust one point higher than the Liberals, but enough for a minority government.Read more and watch the episode.

Aug. 29: Do women hold the keys to the White House?

The Nanos Number: 42. That's the percentage of women who would support Republican nominee Mitt Romney if an election was held today - revealing of the gender gap at the heart of the 2012 presidential race.Read more and view the episode

Aug. 22: Will Quebecers vote with their pocketbooks?

The Nanos Number: 15. Just 15 per cent of Quebecers surveyed feel they are better off now versus a year ago.Read more and view the episode

Aug. 17: Is a vote for the PQ a vote for separation?

Not according to The Nanos Number. More than two-thirds67 per centof Quebecers believe a victory by the sovereigntist PQ party would mean voters simply want a change in government and not necessarily to separate.Read more and view the episode

July 25: How confident are Canadians in their governments?

The Nanos Number: 9. That's the percentage of Canadians who are confident their elected representatives can find solutions to the challenges Canada faces.Read more and watch the episode.

July 18: Federal Liberals on the move in Quebec

The Nanos Number: 11. That's the percentage increase in support for the federal Liberals in the province of Quebec compared to the last federal election.Read more and watch the episode.

July 11: Is the NDP becoming a national force?

The Nanos Number: 38. That's the support for the provincial NDP in Newfoundland and Labrador, putting them at a historic high and ahead of the ruling Conservatives. Does this signal deepening roots for the federal NDP?Read more and watch the episode

July 4: U.S. net worth takes a hit

The Nanos Number: 35. Americans' household net worth has dropped 35 per cent since2005, a number that holds warnings for Canada's housing market and personal debt.Read more and watch the episode

June 27: Which partyis most sensitive to the needs of key voters?

The NDP is seen as most sensitive to the needs of key groups of voters such as seniors andnew Canadians and is close to the Conservatives on small business, suggests a Nanos Research survey. Read more and watch the episodes:Part 1|Part 2

June 20: Are taxes the way to tame deficits?

The Nanos Number: 55. More than half of Canadians would have a somewhat negative or negative view of a politician who pitched tax hikes as a way to pay for deficit spending.Read more and watch the episode

June 13: Party leaders and the trust factor

The Nanos Number: 41. Parties with a leader trusted by Canadians haveacritical strategic advantage. But four in 10Canadiansdon't know which leader to trustif any.Read more and watch the episode

Jun 7: Crime and politics

The Nanos Number: 81. If so many Canadians feel safe, why has the Conservativegovernment focused so much on crime? It's the power of the hot-button issue.Read more and watch the episode

May 30: Future generation's standard of living

The Nanos Number: 41. The percentage of Quebecers who feel they'll have a lower standard of living than their parents may help explain the student protests in Quebec.Read more and watch the epidsode

May 23: Matching up priorities

The Nanos Number: 4. Are the stated priorities of Stephen Harper's government in line with Canadians' priorities?Read more and watch the episode

May 17: Seniors the next protest group?

The Nanos Number: 17. Seniors are more likely to live in poverty now than 20 years ago, with the pressure of rising bills, pensions at risk and uncertainty. Is this group noted for high voter turnout numbers a "silent, angry mob" to watch?Read more and watch the episode

May 9: It's the economy, stupid

The Nanos Number: 47. Nearly half of Canadians rate fiscal management a 10 out of 10 when evaluating a premier.Read more and watch the episode