Canadian Politics Today

California is, I admit, a more extreme case of direct democracy getting out of hand. Not all states are like that. Ours for example: there was a law passed by the General Assembly (state legislature) to legalize same-sex marriage. After the governor signed the law, there was a petition drive to repeal it, mostly by conservative republicans, who are vastly outnumbered and outvoted in this state (we've been "blue" since Andrew Jackson was president). Fortunately (in my view), the law was upheld by the voters. So I can see the benefits of referenda/plebiscites in a democratic society. But it can get out of hand. The legislature passed that law, and they're paid to do it for 90 days every year (pass laws, that is.)

Switzerland could be a special case. Quite often, leaders refer issues to the public via plebiscites like that. But only if they think it's going to pass in their favor. Very few leaders, however democratic, feel like "let's roll the dice and see which way the people want it." They want to know the outcome before it happens, otherwise they wouldn't bother to refer it to the people. Maybe in Switzerland there is more direct participation, and they're used to it. Switzerland is smaller, and perhaps its citizens feel closer and more involved? I'll have to look that up on Wikipedia, or some external source.

If that seems a little pessimistic, I accept that.

But Washington doesn't play the same part in our lives that national governments do in other countries. Despite any call for "states rights", and the growth of federal power over the last two centuries, there is still a certain "distance" between the people and the U.S. government in Washington. (Take into account that with the present national population, there are 750,000 residents to one congressman. That's pretty distant.) We feel "closer" to the state and local governments as how it affects our daily lives. perhaps that's why we have less direct "engagement" than Switzerland in the U.S.?

BTW, I apologize for the "what are you smoking" sentence. That was rude of me.