Direct Democracy and its Stabilizing Effects

Political opinions being what they are, the art of living in a democracy is to define and follow common rules of the game despite ideological differences, often irreconcilable. Democracy is direct when citizens are consulted not only to elect their representatives to parliament, their government leaders, and their judges, but also when the popular opinion can express itself in referendum votes.

Direct Democracy and its Stabilizing Effects

17 February 2011 Politics Comments (0)

Political opinions being what they are, the art of living in a democracy is to define and follow common rules of the game despite ideological differences, often irreconcilable.

Democracy is direct when citizens are consulted not only to elect their representatives to parliament, their government leaders, and their judges, but also when the popular opinion can express itself in referendum votes.

You can read a more detailed document: here
and find a summary of the Swiss political institutions: here

All components in the above scheme are undissociable to achieve direct democracy.

Referendum

Popular referendum is the absolute counter-power
Referendum should be:
- Mandatory for any constitutional change and treaties of adhesion to international institutions
- Facultative for any law or treaties accepted by Parliament when e.g. 1% of all citizens want so.
- Organized when a certain amount of citizens (e.g. 2%) takes the initiative to introduce a constitutional change.
It overshadows all political work of Parliament and Government.
- but it should never be construed as a mean to chastize or dismiss the government in place.

Proportional Representation

All political forces are represented
- Which makes absolute majority difficult to achieve
With a two chambers Parliament
- People Representation
- Territory Representation (Senate)

Government as a College

It is NOT a coalition
Solutions and proposals to the Parliament must be negotiated within the college
Members must work together, although not elected on the same platform
No individual decision, therefore accountability is shared by its members:
- Reduced personification

Decentral

Power should be exercised as close to the site of action as possible
Federal State
- Delegation of competencies from small to large
- Subsidiarity
Local Budget
- Taxation an perception decided locally
- Public debt can be contracted by municipalities, townships, region, etc.

Consultation Procedure

All stakeholders must be consulted when new law is being prepared (or old ones amended)
- Political parties
- Regions
- Unions and professional organizations
- NGOs
The result of which is in general a negotiated compromise

It takes time to develop the political culture required for such system.
The elaboration of new laws is relatively slow at the start, but much faster and more effective at implementation.
The system is relatively boring. Personal egos have a hard time in it. It cannot be flamboyant and spectacular, the media hate it.

This is probably why, in countries where no direct democracy is installed, almost all politicians pretend that it is “impossible” in their country. But they never say why.