Education and Direct Democracy
The LA Times has an interesting opinion piece today, California's democratic dilemma. The author explains briefly the history of our Initiative system, and current calls for its reform.
It's true that the Initiative (Proposition) system has played a role in really screwing up our state. While the goal of this Progressive Era reform was to raise the voice of the people above special interests, it seems to have backfired.
Is the problem too much direct democracy? Plato suggested, and the Framers (Madison, et. al.) perhaps agreed that tyrannical majorities of unenlightened (my word, not theirs) people could easily render a society unjust, or at the very least cause dysfunctional government. Hence, both eschewed direct democracy.
So were the Progressive reformers wrong to introduce the Initiative? Hard to say. If the people are willing to educate themselves on the issues, apply some moral reasoning to considerations of justice, and get themselves to the polls in large numbers, the Proposition system seems to be a brilliant device for self-government. If they aren't, well, maybe the device created in 1789 called "republicanism" is what our state should return to.
Meanwhile, the Initiative isn't going anywhere, so let's do the next best thing to modifying the system: get serious about education. Let's get people out of Plato's cave in larger numbers. If we can get Californians better educated, maybe we can save the state.
My $0.02.
It's true that the Initiative (Proposition) system has played a role in really screwing up our state. While the goal of this Progressive Era reform was to raise the voice of the people above special interests, it seems to have backfired.
Is the problem too much direct democracy? Plato suggested, and the Framers (Madison, et. al.) perhaps agreed that tyrannical majorities of unenlightened (my word, not theirs) people could easily render a society unjust, or at the very least cause dysfunctional government. Hence, both eschewed direct democracy.
So were the Progressive reformers wrong to introduce the Initiative? Hard to say. If the people are willing to educate themselves on the issues, apply some moral reasoning to considerations of justice, and get themselves to the polls in large numbers, the Proposition system seems to be a brilliant device for self-government. If they aren't, well, maybe the device created in 1789 called "republicanism" is what our state should return to.
Meanwhile, the Initiative isn't going anywhere, so let's do the next best thing to modifying the system: get serious about education. Let's get people out of Plato's cave in larger numbers. If we can get Californians better educated, maybe we can save the state.
My $0.02.
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