ext_120540 ([identity profile] houstonjames.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] tobyaw 2012-12-07 12:10 pm (UTC)

Petitions and democracy

I like the approach used in some other places: Switzerland, California, various others.

A petition is a useful indicator of the strength of public opinion on an issue. Not, in itself, reason to *act* - but reason to investigate further. In those cases, the approach is that any issue reaching a certain number of petition signatures must then be put to a binding referendum, which of course delivers a much more useful indicator of democratic opinion on an issue: a bad idea with 100,000 vocal supporters still won't get anywhere that way.

I do wonder how many of the signatories to that petition have actually read all the 2,000-odd pages and fully considered the 92 policy recommendations they are demanding be enacted ... if any.

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