The Canadian trucker protests show the importance of public opinion polling to the democratic process

Societies need public opinion polls so they can develop an accurate sense of self

You have no doubt heard of the Canadian truckers who have been blocking the streets of Ottawa over the last month. They are upset that the government is mandating that they must prove they have received a vaccine for covid-19 if they are crossing the border from America. One of the larger groups of truckers blocked a highway bridge over which a quarter of US-Canada trade passes, costing some $300-400m dollars a day. (They were cleared from the road after a week.) Another group set up their camp on Wellington street, which fronts the building housing Canada’s Parliament. They have been honking their horns all day and night for the better part of two weeks.

On February 7th, some residents of Ottawa filed a class-action lawsuit for quiet. The members of the “freedom convoy,” as the truckers have dubbed themselves, responded by arguing that honking was just part of the “democratic process.” A judge disagreed, ruling with the Ottowans. He ruled that the noise was unnecessary and harmful. “T…