More referendums = more Democracy

[JIMMY12345]

Government by the people for the people.Oft quoted Gettysburg address
What would happen if we had more referendums on VIP Topics

In USA states could vote on abortion free from the Political hypocrites.
In Russia the people could vote to stop the FSB/GRU on their illegal war on innocent Ukraine.
(ok maybe they would not play ball on this one)
People could vote for lower tax's which would stimulate the economy or more likely bring them crashing down
In UK they could vote on Brexit (sorry what was that ...they did really? I must read the news more often
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What would you like your referendum to be on ?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

Government by the people for the people.Oft quoted Gettysburg address
What would happen if we had more referendums on VIP Topics

In USA states could vote on abortion free from the Political hypocrites.
In Russia the people could vote to stop the FSB/GRU on their illegal war on innocent Ukraine.
(ok maybe they would not play ball on this one)
People could vote for lower tax's which would stimulate the economy or more likely bring them crashing down
In UK they could vote on Brexit (sorry what was that ...they did really? I must read the news more often
*****************************************
What would you like your referendum to be on ?

Referendums are costly. And involve election like efforts to sway opinion, hyper-focused on a single issue. I don't think this would be a good way to govern.

 

[Altfish]

Government by the people for the people.Oft quoted Gettysburg address
What would happen if we had more referendums on VIP Topics

In USA states could vote on abortion free from the Political hypocrites.
In Russia the people could vote to stop the FSB/GRU on their illegal war on innocent Ukraine.
(ok maybe they would not play ball on this one)
People could vote for lower tax's which would stimulate the economy or more likely bring them crashing down
In UK they could vote on Brexit (sorry what was that ...they did really? I must read the news more often
*****************************************
What would you like your referendum to be on ?

Referendums are a shamble and easily influenced - if you had one to reduce taxes, most would vote for it.
If you had one for the death penalty most would vote for it. If you had one to leave the EU most would vote against their own interests because Putin funded it

BUT if you had one to ban guns most would vote for it
AND if you had one to legalise abortions most would vote for it.

 

[JIMMY12345]

Referendums are costly. And involve election like efforts to sway opinion, hyper-focused on a single issue. I don't think this would be a good way to govern.

One post raised the question of cost.You could stretch over a couple of months.You could have electronic terminals where people key in NI/Social security numbers to gain entry to vote.The safeguards can be more lenient as unlike purely political votes there is less incentive to corrupt the process.

 

[JIMMY12345]

Referendums are a shamble and easily influenced - if you had one to reduce taxes, most would vote for it.
If you had one for the death penalty most would vote for it. If you had one to leave the EU most would vote against their own interests because Putin funded it

BUT if you had one to ban guns most would vote for it
AND if you had one to legalise abortions most would vote for it.

Agreed.However no one trusts regular elections either.Take the UK the most promising candidate is a fiscal rottweiler.He does not want tax cuts.Tax cuts are a big reason why Sri Lanka is in such bad shape.However to get elected he may have to join the others and say "Yeah Yeah tax cuts galore" political speak for vote for you know who.

 

[Altfish]

Agreed.However no one trusts regular elections either.Take the UK the most promising candidate is a fiscal rottweiler.He does not want tax cuts.Tax cuts are a big reason why Sri Lanka is in such bad shape.However to get elected he may have to join the others and say "Yeah Yeah tax cuts galore" political speak for vote for you know who.

Concensus politics achieved by PR is the only way forward

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Concensus politics achieved by PR is the only way forward

Or backward. See, for example, Alexis de Tocqueville on the Tyranny of the Majority.

 

[PureX]

The reason there are no pure democracies in the world is that the majority will always use their majority to oppress and abuse the minorities among them. It's why the democracies of the world have all created written constitutional type documents limiting the will of the voting majority. Individual rights being at the forefront of those protections. Such that 'referendums' cannot be used to usurp those rights. Nor can the whims of elected officials, or even judges. Everyone involved in governance must take an oath to abide by the mandates of their constitutional documents, and thereby respect the rights guaranteed therein regardless of their own will or how popular it is.

 

[Altfish]

The reason there are no pure democracies in the world is that the majority will always use their majority to oppress and abuse the minorities among them. It's why the democracies of the world have all created written constitutional type documents limiting the will of the voting majority. Individual rights being at the forefront of those protections. Such that 'referendums' cannot be used to usurp those rights. Nor can the whims of elected officials, or even judges. Everyone involved in governance must take an oath to abide by the mandates of their constitutional documents, and thereby respect the rights guaranteed therein regardless of their own will or how popular it is.

There are many countries that govern by consensus as no party has a majority and a coalition has to be agreed