Focus our study

Comparing education and/or health is a difficult task. America spends a lot on healthcare - more than we do in terms of %'s but have a large portion of their population that remains uncovered.

Bala, I don't think that you can normatively assert that Canada is a middle power. Today Canada (not France, UK, etc.) operate in some of the most strategically important regions of Afghanistan like Helmand and Kandahar. Canada is a middle power in some sense - but it is within the NATO framework which is becoming more regionally polarized. It is expected, by NATO analyists that the EU will homogenize its defence policy through the union. America will act accordingly, and Canada could as well.

I believe that the GDP's provide a spectrum of %'s. Some resemble Canada's. Some don't. It paints a basic picture for the survey respondent - to which they can assert whether they see more black or white - whether Canada needs more or less, according to them.