Direct #democracy, where voters can propose and vote in legislation sounds great—ignoring the bought-and-paid-for politicians. Turns out it's not so great for two big reasons.
1. Corporations are often behind those voter initiatives, with the "will of the people" directly serving the wealthy.
2. Even when it's not, poorly thought-out laws get written (for Oregonians, think "Bill Sizemore") that can gut the government's ability to function.
Curtis "Ovid" Poe (he/him)
in reply to Curtis "Ovid" Poe (he/him) • • •For those who don't know Bill Sizemore, his Oregon ballot initiatives, designed to hamstring the government, were so famously bad that even if an idea sounded good, many Oregonians would vote against when they found he supported it.
Thus, when he backed a GOOD ballot measure—forbidding insurance companies from using credit scores to set your insurance rates[1]—it failed, in part, because he supported it.
1. #1 cause of bankruptcy in US is healthcare, so your insurance would increase.
n0bml
in reply to Curtis "Ovid" Poe (he/him) • • •Adam Trickett
in reply to Curtis "Ovid" Poe (he/him) • • •direct democracy where a panel is selected at random and makes plans based on evidence can eliminate commercial corruption and produce sane policy. Direct vote per issue is vulnerable as you say and people will happily vote to cut taxes and increase spending at the same time.
Hitler knew he could destroy democracy from the inside and Trump and Johnson have followed the same path...
Curtis "Ovid" Poe (he/him)
in reply to Adam Trickett • • •Adam Trickett
in reply to Curtis "Ovid" Poe (he/him) • • •random like a jury is random. The main vulnerability is the civil service which supports them, as it can guide them by controlling the flow of information. When Macron tried citizen panels for the climate issue the recommendations were basically sound and progressive, and not the right wing corporate rubbish he was expecting. So they have basically been ignored.
By controlling the flow of information you can get any decision you want, Hitler, Trump, Johnson, Brexit, were voted for!