Canada 360 | Should we govern by polls?

A Freedom of Information request made by CBC News this month revealed that Doug Ford’s Ontario government commissioned polls on a weekly basis to find out the public’s opinion on various public policy topics and that results of these polls guided his political choices. This practice, which costs taxpayers millions of dollars, has become commonplace in several states, such as in Quebec and at the federal level.

Of course, governance by polls has advantages for both the governed and the rulers.

However, polls should only be one tool among others for government decision-making.

Indeed, citizens deserve public policies that are based on factual data and not simply on a thermometer of popularity.

Polls are of obvious interest in the context of the indirect democracy in which we live. In our political system, it is difficult for elected officials and the public servants who support them to take the pulse of the population on certain issues between two elections. In fact, we do not use plebiscites on a regular basis as is the case in Switzerland, for example. By informing politicians about the opinion of citizens, polls fulfill a democratic function.

Similarly, polls allow governments to legitimize executive decisions that do not have to be debated and voted on in the legislature. We can think here of the majority of the health measures that were put in place during the pandemic in Ontario and elsewhere in the country, such as the wearing of mandatory masks, vaccine passports and capacity limits in public spaces.

By making decisions that more or less accord with popular favor, authorities ensure that citizens will mostly comply. They can then govern effectively. With the pandemic continuing, it appears the Ontario government is trying to strike a delicate balance between its desire to contain the spread of the virus and its concern to keep people fed up with health measures. . In such a context, the use of surveys is certainly useful.

Strengthened majority power

From an electoral point of view, following the polls allows Doug Ford to maintain the favor of voters. By putting forward policies that have the support of the population, or at least of its partisan base and of potential new voters, the Progressive Conservative Party certainly increases its chances of re-election. However, such a maneuver does not necessarily serve the common good.

Although polls often give an idea of ​​the mood of citizens on a particular public policy issue, they do not allow us to find concrete solutions to solve problems. Survey results can be misleading when misinterpreted or when the questionnaires used are poorly constructed. Slightly changing the questions in a survey or the possible answer choices can lead to very different results, and people’s perceptions are constantly changing.

Moreover, governing by opinion poll reinforces the power of the majority to the detriment of minority groups. But democracy is more than majority rule!

By blindly following the polls, governments can harm the interests of the most vulnerable people in society and, even worse, infringe on their rights and freedoms.

The recent loosening of health measures in Ontario has in particular raised the ire of immunosuppressed people and parents of young children who cannot mask themselves or receive vaccines against COVID-19.

Reactive logic

Moreover, acting on the basis of surveys is part of a reactive rather than preventive logic. Politicians wait for popular pressure to mount before taking action. In doing so, the problems escalate and spiral out of control. We can think here of the fifth wave of COVID-19 which could have been significantly reduced in Ontario if certain health measures, although unpopular, had been reinforced earlier.

Since polling data may be insufficient to make sound political choices, our leaders must ensure that they have all the necessary data before making decisions. In addition to taking into account the results of polls, they must base their positions on their best judgment, the fundamental principles of our company, the opinion of experts and the point of view of stakeholders.

Every political decision is by definition controversial. Rather than automatically choosing the political option that receives the greatest support, politicians must assume their responsibilities and justify their political choices even if they are less popular than others.