Canadians say country split between ordinary folks and elites. But what is an elite?

This story is part of a series digging into the results of a CBC News-commissioned online poll of 4,500 Canadians ahead of the October federal election.

Between bites of his free hamburger at last Saturday's Ford Fest celebration north of Toronto — an annual barbecue hosted by the family of Ontario Premier Doug Ford — 65-year-old Tony Laino provided a concise answer when asked who he considers the "elites" of society.

"Those that think they're better than me," he said. "Because I don't espouse their beliefs."

That's one definition, anyway.

The label "elites" seems to get flung around the political arena constantly these days. It's become one of the dirty words of politics.

It's also a term that resonates with many Canadians, particularly in an era when political populism seems to be gaining ground. A new CBC poll suggests nearly 80 per cent of Canadians either strongly or somewhat agree with the statement: "My country is divided between ordinary people and elites."

But what exactly does it mean? And why has it gained such traction as a political insult?

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"It's become such an elastic term, it's become useless as a classification," said Sean Speer, a sessional instructor and senior fellow in public policy at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

As history professor Beverly Gage noted in a 2017 New York Times column, the word is still seen in a positive light when used as an adjective — an elite athlete, for example. But it takes on a nefarious meaning when used as a noun and "has become one of the nastiest epithets in American politics."

It's been used frequently by U.S. President Donald Trump, but it's also been a rallying cry for many Canadian politicians, including Ford and former prime minister Stephen Harper, who would often take shots at the "liberal elite."

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Historically, the term "elite" seemed to have a connection to the rich. Politicians of all stripes have often tried to show off their working-class bona fides, regardless of their personal wealth.

In his initial foray onto the political stage, former prime minister Brian Mulroney was branded as the "Boy from Baie Comeau," Que., downplaying his role as president of the Iron Ore Company of Canada, said Tim Powers, vice-chairman of Summa Strategies, who served as the director of policy and research for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

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