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Published: 28 October 2025

In today’s volatile policy environment, pressure can mount quickly – and unexpectedly. Whether you're a senior government relations professional, corporate executive, public policy leader, or industry association advocate, you’ve likely felt it: the growing intensity of public scrutiny, political finger-pointing, or calls for government action. But how can you quantify that pressure? Track where it’s coming from? Anticipate whether your industry or portfolio might be next in the spotlight, prioritized for a policy response that can have significant consequences?

That’s exactly what the Regulatory Pressure Gauge (RPG) was built to do.

Developed and launched in Canada by public opinion researcher Doug Anderson, the RPG is a proprietary tool that measures the level of public pressure on governments to intervene – or intervene further – in specific industries. It helps organizations understand how they compare to other sectors, how pressure is evolving over time, and what signals are most likely influencing politicians and regulators behind the scenes.

Public Pressure is Real – and It’s Rising

We live in an era where public expectations are high, trust in traditional institutions is fraying, and digital platforms amplify outrage faster than reason. Citizens no longer leave it to advocacy groups or journalists to raise concerns on their behalf. With a few clicks, they can voice dissatisfaction, connect with others who feel the same, and potentially, create a viral wave of demand for government action that decision-makers can’t afford to ignore.

That pressure shapes regulatory agendas, legislative priorities, and ministerial mandates. It changes the tone of debate in Parliament, shifts budget allocations, and impacts how regulators enforce or rewrite rules. And the pressure often starts long before any formal consultation is organized, let alone launched. So, it is extremely valuable to be aware of pressure levels and changes as early and constantly as possible.

The RPG equips stakeholders with a clearer picture of that process. By surveying thousands of Canadians annually on over 70 specific industries, the RPG:

• produces a pressure index that allows industries to compare themselves against over 70 other industries and against the average “white noise” level of pressure that any industry can expect by default;
• demonstrates what industries are most likely to be on the public sector agenda for making changes to the level of government intervention they face;
• identifies the segments producing public pressure (e.g., region, gender, partisanship); 
• monitors how a crisis impacts the level of pressure for both the short- and long-term; and 
• tracks how campaigns or public messaging may be relieving – or worsening – the burden.

From Grocery CEOs to The Big Telcos: When Pressure Converts to Policy

The RPG’s real-world value became apparent during its 2023 pilot survey. Among 15 industries analysed, the grocery industry registered the highest public pressure – twice the average. Within months, the federal government responded: the Prime Minister convened grocery CEOs, announced new price-stabilization measures, and introduced proposed amendments to the Competition Act. Political response aligned almost perfectly with the data.

Similar stories are playing out across other sectors. In 2025, the federal cabinet accepted a CRTC ruling to expand competition in telecom – another sector the RPG flagged as facing above-average pressure. While governments won’t always act on pressure, the odds of action rise dramatically when the public heat is sustained and cross-partisan.

A Call to Be Proactive

Canadians are not anti-industry – but they have demands. Even amid economic uncertainty, recent RPG findings show that only one in three Canadians support the notion that now is not the time to toughen regulations. In other words, the public expects firms to support national goals while still demanding government oversight or accountability. Canadians can want two things at once – and so must the institutions that serve them.

If your organization would benefit from knowing where it stands, who’s applying pressure, and what can be done about it, the Regulatory Pressure Gauge is a tool built for this moment.

Why This Matters to You

Whatever industry you are in, the RPG gives you a strategic edge by helping you:

• Measure the current level of pressure facing your industry and how that might relate to a government agenda or to your strategic planning.
• Identify your exposure: Is your industry’s pressure score rising or falling relative to others?
• Target your audiences: Which Canadians are driving the concern – and which politicians are likely to respond?
• Inform your advocacy: Use RPG findings to make data-backed arguments to government, media, or members.
• Relieve high pressure: Track whether your communications or PR efforts are moving the needle.
• Leverage low pressure: Understand when pressure is low, how to maintain it, how to leverage champions in society, and decide whether or how relatively low-pressure impacts public affairs or government relations strategies and asks.

At its core, the RPG is not just a diagnostic – it’s a decision-support tool. It allows private and public sector actors to see around the corner and prepare before the policy window slams shut.

Free Briefing on Latest Data

After extensive pilot testing, the first full RPG study was undertaken in 2024 and included over 70 industries. The 2025 numbers are now out and show how the context has changed, as well as which industries are suddenly facing more or less pressure, and by whom.

Contact us to find out more about the pressure facing your industry or any other. We’ll happily provide a free briefing and discuss the implications.