The upcoming megacity referenda is a test of democracy in Metro Toronto, although the test will be one of the responsiveness of public institutions rather than the public will.
Public opinion is civilization's most powerful currency.
As a pollster I know this only too well. In a democracy, public opinion is the only power capable of electing or overthrowing a government, or causing the wild success or dismal failure of a new product or service. The landscape is littered with political and corporate leaders who ignored public opinion and paid the price. Currently, it looks like the Metro amalgamation initiative is headed for defeat at the polls. However, voters who are opposed to amalgamation, who feel they have something to lose, are currently much more motivated than voters who are more sanguine.