ABSTRACT
The images held by Americans about Canada have seldom been a factor, and even less often a decisive factor, shaping American policy. Canadians’ images of the United States and of Americans often have had an important, and sometimes a crucial influence on policies both domestic and foreign. Moreover, differences between the images held by elites and those held by the general population in each country have also contributed to the impact of national images on policy in each country. The extent of that impact will always be a matter of conjecture. It is usually the case that other factors, including economic and security interests, and each country’s domestic political culture, have weighed more heavily in the balance as determinants of its relationship with its neighbor than whatever information, ideas, and sentiments comprise its image of the other. The sheer density of ties in trade, investment, communications, people, institutions, and state-to-state agreements that link the United States and Canada, to say nothing of geography, ensure that these other factors will always influence the bilateral relationship. Nevertheless, the historical record shows that there is still ample room for images of the other to influence outcomes.
